The term climate change was popularised in James Hansen’s 1988 speech. Since then, the discourse around climate change and global warming has been very controversial. Most politicians downplay the true urgency of climate change as it does not seem imminent and is therefore not a ‘high priority’. However, climate scientists believe that we only have 5 years left on the climate clock. After that, the damage done to our planet will be irreparable.
Even worse than the many politicians who undermine the importance of climate action are the ones who deny change completely, ridiculing the whole idea of global warming while watching the exponential rise in global temperatures. Donald Trump recently referred to Hurricane Helene, an extreme weather event that killed hundreds across several US States, as the “little hurricane”.
As the new President-elect of one of the world’s leading economies, Trump is one of the most powerful men on the planet, whose words hold a great deal of power and influence. When he spoke to a crowd at a rally claiming, “global warming was created by and for the Chinese government to make US manufacturing non-competitive,” he influenced his supporters’ beliefs, and some even began to spread the same threatening narrative.
Balancing out this rise of misinformation and false narratives are songwriters, directors, and designers who embed climate change awareness into their work. These messages are reaching new, younger audiences, educating them on topics that politicians have failed to confront.
Climate change in Music:
“That Funny Feeling” (2021) by Bo Burnham, later covered by Phoebe Bridgers, reflects on life in the 21st century, juxtaposing lighthearted pop culture references with much darker themes. “The whole world at your fingertips, the ocean at your door”: this line plays on the irony of being told that we are able to do anything we want with our lives, yet we have no control over the impending climate emergency that is bound to have detrimental impacts on our future. “Twenty thousand years of this, seven more to go” and “it’ll be over soon” reiterate the imminence of climate change and the urgency of climate action.
The 1975’s song “1975” (2019) features a spoken word section from Greta Thunberg. The lyrics include “this is an emergency” and “it’s time to rebel”. All proceeds were donated to Extinction Rebellion, a UK-based environmental movement. When asked about the song, Thunberg claimed that we need to “acknowledge that older generations have failed”, but that “music has the power to break through boundaries”, and that she is “grateful for the opportunity to get [her]message out to a broad new audience in a new way”.
Radiohead’s “Idioteque” (2000) explores themes of paranoia about technological advances, nuclear apocalypse, and global warming. The lyric “we’re not scaremongering, this is really happening” is an attempt to hammer home the seriousness of our climate reality.
This also relates back to scaremongering in politics, which is often used in the UK by the opposition to scare voters into change. However, it is also a term which undermines the importance of the climate movement, stating that creating fear around the topic is unnecessary and wrong. Conversely, climate scientist Bill Maguire has spoken regarding the importance of speaking the truth about climate change whether it evokes fear or not, stating that “If the fracturing of our once stable climate doesn’t terrify you, then you don’t fully understand it”.
Other music references include the entirety of Lorde’s 2021 album, “Solar Power”, and Lana Del Rey’s song “Blue Bannisters” (2021) which references the Santa Clarita wildfires.
Climate change in film:
“Don’t Look Up” (2021) is a satirical film, poking fun at the response to the current climate emergency. It represents the battle between politicians and scientists and is centred around misinformation and ignorance. It shows one possible outcome if we, as a collective, continue to ignore warning signs and fail to take action.
Climate change in fashion:
Greta Thunberg was featured in Scandinavian Vogue where she outlined her vision of a sustainable future. She called attention to the fashion industry as one of the largest contributors to climate change globally, noting also the exploitation of workers in the fast fashion industry.
Billie Eilish attended the 2021 Met Gala wearing Oscar de la Renta. This was on the condition that they stop the production and selling of fur. She posted to her Instagram, saying that she was beyond thrilled to have made “an impact for the greater good, not only for animals but also for our planet and environment too”. Celebrities such as Billie Eilish with large young fan bases are paving the way for climate justice.
