Abbreviated future (AF)
It is no wonder that a friend of mine, a chartered accountant, is still confused about climate change causing severe winter while it is all about global warming. I am sure there are millions in the world who are oscillating between the hot and cold of climate change. To start with, climate change is an issue about a lot of smoke and a hazy screen restricts majority of the world to navigate through the cacophony over managing the problem. Brave and adventurous people who have volunteered or created a career out of understanding and solving the problem of climate change, talk in an encrypted language which is more complex than atmospheric behaviour. Take for example, the umbrella body that looks after humanity's future threatened by the bad behaviour of atmosphere, UNFCCC. I am always nervous that I have missed out one C. At times, just to be sure, I write UNFCCCC. You can't argue, it is United Nations Framework Convention on Control of Climate Change. There is an unprecedented eagerness in the climate circle to talk in jargon and create convoluted abbreviations. It is possible that the climate politicians who joined later, tried to outsmart the climate scientists who had inherited complex chemical bonds and formulas.
But if we look at the hazyness of climate change negotiations, one thing is clear. It is a deliberate attempt to keep people out of it. The process of managing climate change has been utterly undemocratic, where participation of majority is prohibited. It is controlled by a smart set to deliver more to the smart set. If we look closely at two dominating terms like 'adaptation' and 'mitigation' in climate discussion, they basically directs humanity to behave, and behave withing its means. It's no wonder that we need trillions of dollars to behave!
If we are looking for any real change, all of us need to participate in the climate debate. Barring a handful of politicians, no peoples representative is aware of decisions taken in foreign capitals. We urge all social communicators to put extra efforts to make climate change understandable to everyone. There is no point crying foul after all decisions are taken by the smart sets.
Meanwhile, check out these links and bookmark them for quick understanding of climate smokescreen:
Glossary of Climate Change Terms
Wikipedia Glossary of Climate Change
UNFCCC: Essential Acronyms