Opinion: Society Risks Normalizing Extreme Weather, Expert Warns
Columnist Helen Pilcher argues that people are accepting unprecedented climate-driven weather deterioration as routine rather than alarming.
In a Guardian opinion piece, Helen Pilcher warns against complacency as extreme weather events become more frequent, comparing societal inaction to the metaphorical frog in boiling water. She argues that flooded streets, crop failures, and record heat are increasingly being treated as ordinary occurrences rather than signs of crisis.
Pilcher uses linguistic examples—such as the degradation of words like "awesome" and "fantastic"—to illustrate how language itself reflects a broader cultural shift toward accepting the extraordinary as normal.
Sources
- Think of the parable of a frog in boiling water. That’s us dithering as the ‘unprecedented‘ weather becomes more extreme | Helen Pilcher — The Guardian — Opinion
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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