Professional Documents
Culture Documents
“Nālani and I walk to our small community garden plot in mānoa — the seed packets in
my pocket sound like a baby’s toy rattle — when do they spray glyphosate along the sidewalks?
from kunia to waimea, fifty thousand acres of gmo fields — how will open air pesticide drift
affect our unborn daughter, whose nerve endings are just beginning to root? — we plant seeds in
rows, soil gathers under our fingernails — syngenta, dupont, dow, pioneer, basf, monsanto $240
million seed sector — corn for cattle feed and syrup — runoff turns [our] streams red — poisons
Lo‘i — 50,000 heart sea urchins die off — what will our daughter be able to plant in this paradise
Craig Santos Perez a native Chamoru from the Pacific Island of Guam, writes poetry
about his experiences and in this case about the environmental impact of pollution in his
hometown. He uses his story to connect with the reader and open their eyes to the conditions of
minority groups in the Pacific Islands. Perez’s poem about climate change shows how literature
invokes passion and can cause people to create change in their own lives and society.
After I read my first book about climate change in the summer after my freshman year of
highschool I decided to change my life and live more sustainably. This single book gave me my
“why”; it inspired me to take my first step towards sustainability and inspired my question,
“How does literature impact people's views on climate change and sustainability?”
precipitation, wind patterns and other measures of climate that occur over several decades or
longer” (Climate Change Terms). Around the world pollution, CO2 emissions, and unethical and
dangerous practices are all leading to environmental destruction. In California we have seen
firsthand the havoc caused by raging fires, chronic droughts, and hazardous air pollution.
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Climate change and pollution affects each and every person around the world in some way, but
unfortunately only 72% of people in the U.S. believe that climate change is happening (Marlon
et al.). Additionally, this study also found that the national average “of [U.S.] adults who hear
about global warming in the media at least once a week is only 33%” (Marlon et al.). People are
often not exposed to media containing information about climate change or given reasons as to
why they should change their habits. Different forms of media are known to give people different
impressions. For example, news reports can inform people of daily incidents, non-fiction and
scientific reports explain data, and fiction and poetry express issues through emotional
connections.
As I was questioning why news does not create the most accurate view of climate change
and sustainability, I asked Amy Golan, owner of Planet Renu, “What does change people's
perspectives on climate change?”. Through personal experiences she has found that, “The most
effective way to convey information is to provide science, but with a narrative”. Climate fiction
and poetry use science, along with personal stories and dystopian realities to create a connection
between the subject and the reader. This connection allows the reader to feel emotionally
attached to the problem discussed throughout the story. While working at Planet Renu, a refill
store, for the past six months, I have discussed climate change with countless customers, all with
varying and unique perspectives on the subject. Many people come to the store in hopes of
adopting more sustainable practices but have no idea where to start, while others come in
knowing nothing about sustainability at all and want to learn why it is so important. There is a
popular narrative that you can only be sustainable if you are completely zero waste and it has to
be all or nothing. This creates a daunting and often overwhelming situation where people
ultimately give up on sustainability all together. To learn more about why people become more
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am always trying to figure out what to convey to people, because if not why should they change,
why should they do things differently”. She went on to describe how without a “why” people
will not understand the importance of climate change and sustainability. Before becoming more
invested in the climate crisis I did not have much knowledge about how and why to help, other
than switching from plastic to paper straws. Many people understand that there is an issue and
that solutions need to be found, but when it comes to creating personal change, people do not
have the internal motivation to do so. Others believe that climate change is a hoax and has no
scientific backing whatsoever. Although there are thousands of news and scientific reports
explaining the data as to why people should adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, there are also
reports which manipulate the evidence to fit a different narrative. When comparing the news to
climate fiction, Golan described how, “The news is much more exaggerated and not necessarily
hitting truth, fact, and science”. Creating false narratives and exaggerating the truth causes
people to not trust the news and as a result not find their reason why they feel empowered to
change.
A study conducted at Yale University described storytelling as, “an effective way to shift
beliefs and attitudes regarding science and environmental issues” (Gustofson et al.). Telling
stories has been an incredible way to pass on knowledge and teach children life lessons for
centuries. Yale’s study shows that stories can also be used to inform people about climate change
and in fact change peoples views on the issue. The study compared two groups, one which read
climate fiction, and another which read an unrelated story. After the participants had read the
books about climate change the study found that they “had significant positive effects on readers’
climate change beliefs and attitudes… as well as levels of worry, [and] perceived importance”
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(Gustofson et al.). Literature has the ability to develop a sense of urgency regarding climate
change, consequently providing the reader with their reason as to “why” it is important. The
effects of reading about climate change are apparent; people become more empathetic towards
future generations and the problems the human race will face as a result of rising temperatures
and pollution.
Fiction and poetry also have the ability to create empathy for others and the people most
affected by the climate crisis. The New York Times reported a 2013 study that found “‘after
reading literary fiction… people performed better on tests measuring empathy, social perception
and emotional intelligence’” (Hamid). Collectively, people in Western societies are not facing the
brunt of climate change and therefore do not always understand or lack awareness of their
situations. Reading about the challenges others are facing can invoke empathy and allow people
to gain a universal perspective on climate change. Stories of hope, despair, and success can
encourage people to change their ways. Both fiction and poems can “ reveal a bleak vision of the
future which, in turn, can inspire empathy and action in readers now” (Thatcher). Not only can
stories of people's present circumstances impact people's ideas about climate change, futuristic
literature can also create concern about the climate crisis. Literature has the ability “‘to generate
radical empathy, to enlarge our understanding of ourselves and our world, through people and
stories that dramatize what a climate report or news story can’t’”(Kelly-Akinnuoye). Climate
reports cannot emulate the same emotional intensity as literature, they do not create meaning for
Just as climate reports and news programs cannot represent emotion as well as literature,
different forms of literature can create different emotional responses. Each different genre and
category of literature sends “a message in its own unique way: poetry through imagery and
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emotional responses, novels through a longer narrative, and nonfiction through some form of
data analysis”, explained Jumana Esau. Esau completed her higher education in English at UC
Davis and later the University of Cambridge where she explored climate fiction and its literary
strategies. During my interview with her she explained that, “From…[her] own experience, [she]
finds that all writers play a substantial role in helping the public imagine the impacts of climate
change” and although each is important she “generally prefer[s] novels to works of nonfiction,
which is why climate fiction has more heavily impacted” her and the way she interprets the
climate crisis. Esau continued by explaining, “The term "cli-fi" first came into use on April 20,
2013 when NPR did a five-minute radio segment by Angela Evancie on Weekend Edition
Saturday to describe novels and movies that deal with human-induced climate change, and
historically, there have been any number of literary works that dealt with climate change”. Cli-fi
as it is called is science fiction based around climate change and its effects. Readers can learn
about the ramifications of pollution and carbon emissions through stories, poems, and narratives.
Climate fiction “reminds concerned readers of the severity of climate change while compelling
them to imagine environmental futures and consider the impact of climate change on human and
nonhuman life” (Schneider-Mayerson). It allows readers to consider their own impacts on the
environment and empower them to take initiative and create change. In a study done by Duke
University, participants were asked to read climate fiction or a random scientific sample. Out of
the climate fiction readers, “72.3 percent were concerned about climate change either “a great
deal” or “a fair amount” compared to only 57.4 percent of the random AMT sample”
people's beliefs about climate change. Climate fiction undoubtedly has a greater impact on
people as, “most readers attested to the value of cli-fi as a tool for enabling the imagination of
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potential climate futures” (Schneider-Mayerson). The gruesome depictions of what our futures
could potentially look like motivates people to find solutions in their daily lives and for society.
These hypothetical futures can impact people emotionally and cause them to wonder what a
future after climate change could look like. Climate fiction has the ability to give “‘insight into
the ethical and social ramifications of this unparalleled environmental crisis, reflect… on current
political conditions that impede action on climate change, explore…how risk materializes and
affects society, and finally play… an active part in shaping our conception of climate change’”
(Kelly-Akinnuoye). Climate fiction is one of the greatest assets of the climate justice movement
and continues to shape people's perception of the crisis, while also cultivating ideas and solutions
to slow the progression of climate change and potentially reverse the damage already done.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s climate change was a new phenomenon, with only a select few
discussing the ramifications of burning fossil fuels and coal. Although very few news sources
were reporting on the issue, Rachel Carson could see the effects of pollution on the world around
her, this inspired her to “published ‘Silent Spring’” (1962), a trenchant critique of the use of
pesticides in agriculture” (Vint). Silent Spring is now regarded as one of the most influential
books about environmentalism. Carson begins her book with, “‘A Fable for Tomorrow’ in which
Carson depicts a future where a blight destroys all life in Anytown, USA, an outcome that
Carson traces back to disruptions in the ecosystem caused by pesticides.”(Vint). Her use of the
word Anytown for the setting of her story implies that anywhere in the US, or the world, there
could be a town that is hit with such a devastating loss of life. She uses this idea to showcase
how all of us are affected by pollution and other such disruptions in the environment. Along with
word choice, “Carson thus demonstrates the rhetorical power of fictional, futuristic depictions to
shape public understandings.”(Vint). Literary devices have the ability to portray issues in ways
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nonfiction cannot. They shape the reader's perception of the story and create underlying
meanings which prompt further discussion and thought. Carson's work to create an emotional
story from present issues “fostered new ways of thinking about ecological futures, premised on
sustainability” (Vint). Her readers were so invigorated by her story that they were able to spread
her book and the pressing issue of pesticide to the mainstream culture, which scientists were not
able to do through scientific reports. Her book sparked debate in the scientific and political
communities; “these discussions led to new policies that protect our air, our water, and,
ultimately, our health and safety” (Legacy of Rachel). As we can see from Carson's book,
literature holds the power to ignite change in people, scientific communities, and policy.
Literature has the ability to change people's opinions, “ideas spread quickly and more
fluidly than pdf reports, charts and figures” (Kelly-Akinnuoye). I have read many articles and
heard thousands of news reports but none of them have had the emotional impact as reading
literature about climate change. Charts and graphs may portray data and explain the issues we
presently face and may face in the future, but they do not captivate an audience and evoke
passion to create change. Esau also believes literature influences how people respond to climate
change. When interviewing her I asked “How does literature show people the reality of climate
change in a way research papers and news articles cannot?”. She went on to describe how
climate fiction “attempts to relate the large-scale issue of global climate change through an
imagined, microcosmic world. It gives the reader a space to suspend disbelief, but also provides
room for imagining real solutions and fostering hope”. Esau explained the way climate fiction
uses real issues and experiences to relate the facts to people's realities. Creating a space for
people to dream of solutions and endings that are not as dismal as the climate reports make us
assume it will be, allows for the development of a future full of meaningful change.
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Fiction and poetry can be used in many ways to show people the results of the future as
climate change progresses. University of Notre Dame explained in a review of the book How
Literature Changes the Way We Think how, “literature is… a disruptive force, breaking up our
fictions about the world we live in and showing us new possibilities for the future” (Pettersson).
Literature can be used to compose ideas of the future in both positive and negative ways, both
representing possible realities depending on the actions of humans. Poets use language to shape
“visions of the future in order to highlight changes we can make in the present” (Thatcher).
Reading about the possible ramifications of climate change can inspire people to make
adjustments in their own lives and begin fighting for climate justice. In a study done by Duke
University some readers reported that the connections between these abstract futures and people's
aware of the “slow violence” of climate change for the first time” (Schneider-Mayerson). Many
people are unaware of the catastrophe climate change is and will continue to be. When reading
about futures which reflect on our present actions people can be exposed to the reality of our
choices. Others are aware of climate change but do not fully understand the ramifications of their
actions.
Not only is the expression of time important to one's comprehension of climate change,
the perspective of the writing is equally important to producing empathetic responses. Authors
use different perspectives and characters to help, “imagine a voice for what is too easily reduced
help people relate to the crisis in an emotional way which scientific reports do not allow. It
creates a character, a person, for people to form attachments with and as a result are more
compassionate and care about the issues at hand. Literary tools such as “Shifting point-of-view,
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persona, and voice… can help articulate the overwhelming sense we often feel of sheer
destruction” (Balkun). These tools cultivate an emotional connection to climate change and make
people feel less alone in their fears about the future. For thousands of years poets have been
using these tools to respond to current events such as wars and disease. Poems have the ability
to, “act as a witness to phenomena like global warming or highlight how climate change impacts
particular animals or plants” (Thatcher). It creates a bond to the plants, animals, and ecosystems
which can empower people to fight for change to protect the things they now hold dear to them.
One example of how perspective in poetry can influence the reader is in the poem “Diary of Sila
the Sky God” written by Hila Ratzabi. The poem describes a time in the US when there were
extreme winter storm warnings. The poem “operates as a list; it is in the form of a diary entry”
(Balkun). The perspective of the sky god is ironic and speaks to the idea that humans are creating
problems and nature is responding accordingly. There are both elements of levity and seriousness
and gives the reader a different perspective on the issues of climate change. Poems create
emotional connections and “narratives promote a sense of identification with the story characters
and immersion into the world of the story” (Gustofson et al.). Narratives use a character's story
and hardships to foster a relationship with the reader. As the reader becomes more invested in the
character’s journey and the outcome of their situation they become emotionally attached to the
reader's hardships. Often readers can become so empowered by narrative stories that they begin
how the reader's background will impact their understanding of the story and the way they will
interpret it. Some demographic and socioeconomic factors that are important for writers to take
into account include “age, race, gender, sexuality, and education, …familiarity with specific
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narrative forms, taste, or life experiences” (Schneider-Mayerson) all of which can “create a
(Schneider-Mayerson). Writers are able to use this knowledge to curate their writing for certain
groups or for the majority of readers. Examples of novels which use their understanding of the
audience to create relatable works include Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) and Frank
Herbert’s Dune (1965), “both novels were embraced by a youthful college audience who saw in
them a reflection of their own anti-establishment value” (Vint). When readers can see themselves
reflected in the literature they are reading they can become more connected to the story and
therefore more connected to the cause, in this case climate change. As well, reading about
different perspectives than our own enables,“ us to see the world through the eyes of people
unlike ourselves and view them more empathetically” (Hamid). Stories about marginalized
groups of people suffering from climate change can open our narrow minded view of the world
and allow us to see the effects of climate change from more than a Western, privileged view
point.
Each of us can only view the world through our own lens, relating situations to our own
past, and having biases due to our history with certain situations. Living in America we are
fortunate to be protected from many of the more extreme consequences of climate change.
Literature, “helps us cope with the current as well as future challenges by changing the way we
think about ourselves, our society and those who are excluded from or marginalized within our
society” (Mack 11). From poetry to science fiction, marginalized groups who would otherwise
not be represented in the media can be represented through literature. This helps their stories
become mainstream as well as opening our eyes to the atrocities they face as a result of climate
change. Writers use these stories to teach the privileged about people who are suffering and in
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desperate need for aid (Kelly-Akinnuoye). They can show us why we need to fight not only for
our futures but for others whose present realities are less fortunate than our own. In 1972 John
Brunner published The Sheep Look Up, a dystopian environmental science fiction novel. His
novel, “scathingly critiques the entrenched capitalist system that simultaneously destroys the
environment and markets products designed to ameliorate the risks caused by contaminated air,
water, and food” (Vint). He uses his writing to recognise the damage that has been afflicted by
colonialism and capitalism as well as ridicule our current economic system. His book touches on
both the privileged and the marginalized groups perspectives of environmental ruin and discusses
Octavia Butler also uses her voice and her own life experiences as an African American
woman to uplift marginalized groups. In her series Parable, “she imagines a future California
beset by massive displacements fueled by climate change” (Vint). While both the grim
possibilities and hope for a better future are portrayed in her novels, her “work demands of its
audience that we confront the difficult task of building communities in the face of loss,
displacement, and tensions about diversity” (Vint). She uses her books to explain to her audience
the importance of unity and understanding in times of hardship. This allows the readers to reflect
on their own judgements of others and how they work with the people around them to create an
While most well known climate literature depicts terrifying potential futures as a result of
climate change some novels create futures to inspire us to live more sustainably. Ernest
Callenbach wrote Ecotopia to help readers envision a world in which, “the Pacific Northwest…
seceded from America to establish a new polis defined by sustainability, recycling, minimal use
of fossil fuels, localized food production, and gender equality” (Vint). He uses the perspective of
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a journalist to show how this society is creating a world that could withstand climate change and
that it is possible for monumental social reform to occur. Although it is a ficticious future, it
allows the readers to feel motivated and inspired by a story of a society where they did find
solutions to climate change. The positive emotions he develops impact the reader by making
them feel more optimistic about the future and possibilities for society to change its ways.
Not only are novels able to create change through positive emotions, poetry can also
encourage readers to participate in sustainable practices and fight against climate change. In
relation to, “invoking positive emotions about the environment, poetry has a long and storied
history” (Illingworth). For centuries people have used poetry to spread hope during challenging
times in history. Messages of hope and social justice in poetry, “can increase empathy in readers
and, therefore, can be an effective tool in conveying these urgent messages and changing
behaviors” (Thatcher). Poetry tells stories and spreads ideas through emotional language and
literary devices which in turn give people the encouragement they need to engage in social
reform. It can also help people understand messages that do not innately carry much emotion,
such as science. For example, climate change, “can appear confusing and alienating…Poets and
poetry offer a method of communicating the science of climate change to the wider society using
language that they not only better understand, but which also has the potential to stimulate
accountability and inspire action” (Illingworth). Scientific reports can often use jargon that
non-specialists will not understand and not be able to relate to. Poetry uses language that people
who do not fully understand the science behind climate change will be able to relate to. This
Literature, such as climate fiction and poetry, allows the reader to gain an emotional
connection to a scientific issue. By creating a personal connection to an issue it can make the
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solution seem more feasible. Poetry and climate fiction give people a future, untold story, or
other emotional connection to the climate crisis. As a result, people are more willing to take steps
in the right direction and look for solutions. When I first began to become involved in
sustainability my parents were hesitant to make changes in our home. My parents were not
unaware that climate change was a pressing issue but continued to use plastic ziplock bags and
use harmful cleaning chemicals. They believed in their ways and were skeptical about changing
everything they had ever known. All they knew was what they learned from the news about
plastic water bottles and recycling. I began to read to them small excerpts from the books I was
reading, showing them short stories, and poems. Gradually they began to become more invested
in the climate crisis and sustainability. Together we have replaced our old cleaning products with
new refill options. In fact, they have become so passionate about the issues that they send me
stories about environmental issues. Just as my parents have, we can all be inspired by literature.
Reading about the pain and suffering of others, and glimpses into our possibly devastating future,
allow us to understand the climate crisis in a way we are unable to without the help of literature.
We can discover our passion for change and empathy for others, we can find our “why”.
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Works Cited
Electronic Sources:
Readers.” Read.dukeupress.edu,
https://read.dukeupress.edu/environmental-humanities/article/10/2/473/136689/The
-Influence-of-Climate-FictionAn-Empirical.
Thatcher, Christina. “How Poetry Can Help Us Understand the Urgency of the Climate
https://theconversation.com/how-poetry-can-help-us-understand-the-urgency-of-the
-climate-crisis-170971.
Gustafson, Abel, et al. “Reading Environmental Literature Can Persuade on Climate.” Yale
https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/reading-environmental-literatur
e-can-persuade-on-climate/.
Illingworth, Sam. “For What We Can Hope to Afford - What Poetry Tells Us about the
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019EGUGA..21.6949I/abstract.
Illingworth, Sam. “How Poetry Can Help Address the Climate Crisis.” The Conversation,
14 Mar. 2023,
https://theconversation.com/how-poetry-can-help-address-the-climate-crisis-196081
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Birmingham,
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/climate/climate-publications/new-approach
es/how-can-literature-tackle-climate-change.aspx.
https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/rachel-carson-silent-spri
ng.html.
Marlon, Jennifer, et al. “Yale Climate Opinion Maps 2021.” Yale Program on Climate
https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/.
Moore, Rob. “Climate Change Literature That Made Waves in 2019.” Be a Force for the
https://www.nrdc.org/bio/rob-moore/climate-change-literature-made-waves-2019.
Perez, Craig Santos. “From ‘Understory’ by Craig Santos Perez.” Poetry Foundation,
Poetry Foundation,
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/58639/from-understory.
Reviewed by Anders Pettersson, Umeå University. “How Literature Changes the Way We
https://ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/how-literature-changes-the-way-we-think/.
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https://climatechange.ucdavis.edu/climate/definitions.
This Bookmark Gauges the Depths of the Human: How Poetry Can Help to ...
https://gc.copernicus.org/preprints/gc-2019-19/gc-2019-19-manuscript-version3.pdf
https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/inspire.
Primary Sources:
Books:
Mack, Michael. How Literature Changes the Way We Think. Continuum, 2012.
Works Consulted
Electronic Sources:
30th, October. “Climate Change, Power, and Poetry.” Poetry Center, 26 Nov. 2019,
https://poetry.arizona.edu/blog/climate-change-power-and-poetry.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/80854144.pdf.
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https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/craig-santos-perez.
Hamid, Mohsin, and Francine Prose. “Does Fiction Have the Power to Sway Politics?” The
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/books/review/does-fiction-have-the-power-to
-sway-politics.html.
Lindwall, Courtney. “These Poets Reckon with Drought, Displacement, and Despair-and
Then Make Space for Hope.” Be a Force for the Future, 1 Apr. 2021,
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/these-poets-reckon-drought-displacement-and-despair-
and-then-make-space-hope.
The MIT Press Reader. “A Century of Science Fiction That Changed How We Think about
https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/century-of-science-fiction-environment-anthropo
cene/.
Moore, Rob. “Climate Change Literature That Made Waves in 2019.” Be a Force for the
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/rob-moore/climate-change-literature-made-waves-201
9.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/146462/poetry-and-the-environment.
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“Why Science Needs the Humanities to Solve Climate Change // Brilliant Future // UCI.” //
https://uci.edu/brilliant/research/climate-change/science-needs-the-humanities-to-so
lve-climate-change.php.
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