From Metaphor to Message: How Indian Literature and Media shape Climate Change Communication through Literature

Abstract

Climate change is most important topic for discussion of the current century. The main obstacle to understand is not only scientific but also how it impacts humans to human culturally and linguistically. Due to the changes happening in the 21st century climate change is now a threat to the humankind. It can be rectified only if it is understood based on language that is easily understood, related to culture, and the overall mentality of the people. India, is a diverse land where people following different cultures and traditions live together. Thus the awareness about the environment cannot be only spread in terms of scientific information and facts, but it needs to be understood with the help of stories, metaphor, and memories. The paper will show that the need for understanding of the changes that is the climate changes not only through scientific knowledge, but from the realistic point through empathetic language used in literature and media. The term 'Eco linguistics' best describes it, in which it tells about how words and the way it is narrated can together draw the scientific understanding of climate change in an emotional and ethical way. The works of writers like Amitav Ghosh in 'The Great Derangement', the soothing nature writings of Ruskin Bond, and the ancient ecological wisdom emersed in the Indian Knowledge System becomes a clear picture reflecting the connected relationship with nature. The media also strongly affects and explains about the environmental crisis. Media platforms like 'The Hindu', 'Down to Earth', and NDTV's environmental campaigns help in understanding of the Care required by the nature in a language easily and make people connected. When we compare literature. and media texts, it will show her figures of speech like personification, metaphors are used to convey message of environmental crisis. Thus the description of the scientific data and how much important is to save environment should be conveyed in a very compassionate language and also through cultural traditional stories that keep us awakened of our duties towards the Earth. Literature and media belong to different ways of expression, but the one thing common in them is the use of emotion, symbolism, and storytelling to make people aware of the climate change and their moral duties towards it. Thus language is the key that will bridge the distance between the scientific knowledge and the traditional knowledge which has been passed on through storytelling through decades. The main aim of the study is to explain that both literature and media communication plays important role to create awareness regarding climate changes in a wise and moral manner. This research focused on the discussion global conversation on climate communication has given this conversation a shift from metaphor to message .its the need of the hour as people need to understand but its transformation to shape public consciousness and inspires them to think about the future of the earth which is a major call of today.