Katharine HayhoeVerified account

Good list! Except “viscious cycle”: self-reinforcing is accurate. “Viscious” implies value (in nonscientific sense of that word) & while in many cases, such as climate change, it applies, there are other situations where it does not. Maybe “unstable” vs “stable” would be helpful?

For example: nonlinearities in behavior change, of the kind we need for a constructive societal response to climate change, often involve positive feedback loops in social systems, or “virtuous cycles”...

So is it best to choose different terms when you want to attach different emotional values to them?

Perhaps sometimes, but clarity is paramount. All of the other terms in that right column are clear but not “loaded”. Vicious cycle certainly OK in climate feedback context but not all scientific communication, as implied by title.

David, Susan took the time to provide a link directly to the paper, titled “Communicating the science of climate change”. As a scientist I personally feel it’s important to respond to an entire work rather than criticising out of context. I would have hoped you’d feel the same.

It isn’t the concept to avoid, it’s the actual word. To lay public, is a synonym for “we don’t know anything.” There are better word choices for public comms. Range of possibilities is a strong contender.

Is this table meant for preferred choice of words in scientific articles or general communication with public? I suppose the latter.