Mikaela Martinez Dettinger - Language about the Environment in Politics

 As Gadamer asserted, "Understanding is Language-Bound" meaning that understanding comes to fruition in how we are able to linguistically express our understanding. For example, if I don't fully understand what Gadamer means, I would not be able to express his idea verbally or explain it to someone else, but because I do, I am able to articulate my understanding in this example. 

This idea that understanding comes to play in language is seen in many different scenarios. Just think, people often claim that when someone is drunk the unfiltered words that come out of their mouths are their true feelings, or their true understanding, articulated. This idea can be applied outside of drunkness too. Many times, politicians and celebrities have made an off handed remark has had to apologize for it or retract their statement and say "what they meant." When this look at the connection between language and understanding is applies to the environmental policies of the US, it becomes clear how the federal government views the nature and wilderness within our country. For example, the current warming of our planet that is on track to make life unsustainable for humans on our planet is still called climate change in the official legislation and statements of the current administration, while the scientific community as well as activists have termed it "a climate crisis". This is most likely done in order to not cause a panic among the general people, but it also shows a misunderstanding of the current situation. To think that it can be minimized in its impact in the way that choosing this wording suggests, means that perhaps the nation's leaders don't fully understand the rate at which warming is irreversibly occurring. 

Another example of this is the Mission Statement of the US's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA states that its goal is to "protect human health and the environment". This wording suggests that human health is the primary goal and the environment is secondary and is only cared for because of its ties to human health. While this makes sense for a government to think this way, it also implies the understanding that our environmental problems end with human health. This does not take into account the extra-human entities that are being harmed by human actions even within the US. 

The language used by the federal government in discussing environmental matters illustrates how it, as a collective entity of leadership, understands the environmental issues facings us. They view them as an anthropocentric issue that the effects of can be minimized. I think this shows the need for some deeper education on environmental matters, but at least there is an attempt being made to face the issues at hand.