Abstract

This paper discusses how climate change communication has been influenced by specific linguistic repertoires. In particular, this paper considers the range of arguments in the climate change discourse and the rationale behind the use of the many linguistic repertoires to communicate a particular message to a wider audience. While climate change remains a hot topic in the news and general media with a plethora of stories, images, commentaries, scientific opinions and technical papers all keeping climate change concerns in the eye of the public, this paper highlights the range of choices made in communicating these complex issues and shows how the use of these repertoires can influence the message. An emphasis is placed on the disciplines of science and law in this paper because although each discipline contains a high degree of knowledge about climate change issues, there are differences in the language used by the disciplines and consequently to the perceptions and responses of each discipline to the subject. This paper also embeds this discussion in the Australian context. The aim of this paper is not only to provide an insight into the linguistic choices made in communicating these complex issues by the general public but also to show the use of these repertoires by scientists and lawyers can influence the message they are trying to deliver.