Grist’s picks for climate words of the year

Climate change touched so many aspects of our lives in 2022 — and so quickly that language had some serious catching up to do. Here are some of the terms and phrases that best captured the zeitgeist of our fast-changing planet in 2022. Art by Amelia Bates Story by KATE YODER

Danger

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[{"selector":"#anim-e9be9261-fe81-448e-951a-78cc9a6e8efe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a1d2a42c-943f-4d98-97d4-fb1a417a9c7d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] The phrase, coined by climate analyst Erika Spanger-Siegfried, is meant to draw attention to how climate change has supercharged summertime threats . A “heat dome” over France, Germany, Spain, and Britain — which scientists said would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change — led to an estimated 20,000 deaths. Summer has transformed into ‘danger season,’ scientists warn. Read more on Grist DANGER SEASON

pump

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[{"selector":"#anim-3e98d3b2-2b1c-4add-88e1-57e945cd066a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e829f9a9-d303-4f15-a5c2-bcb3a52907ef","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Heat pumps use less energy than traditional heaters because they use electricity to move heat instead of creating it. Though installing them can be expensive, the average homeowner could save almost $1,000 on utility bills each year (and prevent four tons of carbon pollution) by switching from a fuel oil furnace. Video: Heat pumps can help save the planet. But can they save you money? VIEW on Grist HEAT PUMP

Heatflation

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[{"selector":"#anim-14bb3f3c-6093-445a-9e41-ba4b3a580416","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2d313adc-c49d-49ff-894f-d24313a79ae3","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Climate change is gaining a reputation for driving up prices for all sorts of things. The price of fo od rose about 10 percent in the U.S. this year, one of the highest rates in decades. Climate change played a bigger role than many people realize, with searing heat and other extreme weather hurting crops and livestock around the globe, from Europe and China to the U.S. How sizzling temperatures drive up food prices READ MORE on Grist HEATFLATION

Nature-rinsing

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[{"selector":"#anim-7e61d6db-e887-4132-bba8-52a6db57409b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ea07f143-7e56-489f-8252-afb0a52e87ab","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] These kinds of advertisements are so common, it’s easy to miss what’s happening: a type of greenwashing found in advertisements in which polluting companies use the beauty of nature — images of wild animals, green plants, and lush landscapes — to clean up their reputation by association. How polluters use the beauty of nature to clean up their image READ MORE on Grist NATURE-RINSING

Heatflation, overshoot, soup throwers: Grist’s picks for words of the year

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