Does climate change have an ‘image problem’?

Images are a key part of communicating climate change, and shape
how we understand the crisis unfolding around us. But while lots
of research has been done into the language we use to talk about
climate, images are often left out of the conversation. As a
result, over time, a limited set of images have come to dominate
how we think of climate change – like polar bears and melting
glaciers - which haven’t kept up with the changing conversation
about the crisis. All too often, these images tend to be
abstract, removed from our daily lives and typically don’t
feature people - when we know that climate change is happening
all around us, all the time, and is very much a story with people
and communities at its core. So how can we develop a new, and
more effective visual language for climate change? What kind of
images ‘work’ to both convey the urgency of the crisis as well as
inspire behavioural change? And what are some of the ways in
which photographers are seeking to represent the crisis in a way
that transforms apathy into action? Guests: Cristina Mittermeier,
photographer and conservationist Arati Kumar-Rao, National
Geographic Explorer and photographer Toby Smith, Programme Lead
at Climate Visuals Saffron O’Neill, University of Exeter
Presenter: Neal Razzell Producer: Zoe Gelber Researcher: Lizzie
Frisby Series Producer: Alex Lewis