18 The Linguist Vol/60 No/1 2021
thelinguist.uberflip.com
Özlem Yilmaz explains how young translators are raising
H
umans are changing Earth's climate, in large part
due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which
lead to issues such as shifting weather patterns,
rising sea levels and wildfires. According to climate
experts, we are at a defining moment with regard to the
future of the planet, which means that the actions we
take today play a crucial role for the safety of our planet.
Yet climate issues are still not globally understood.
The availability of climate information and research in
English can blind one to the fact that many people in
non-English-speaking countries don't have the same
access. This can lead to apathy towards environmental
issues because the majority of the world doesn't carry the
knowledge needed to halt climate change. This problem
can be fixed, but only if people have accurate information.
Climate Cardinals is a youth-led non-profit which
attracted more than 6,000 volunteers from all over the
world within a few months of launching last year. It was
established by Sophia Kianni after she discovered that
her relatives in Iran knew little about climate change. The
information to educate them was not available in Farsi so
she began translating scientific literature herself, which
had a marked impact on their behaviour in relation to
protecting the environment. Climate Cardinals has since
reached over 350,000 people in 41 countries, translating
more than 500,000 words of environmental resources
into more than 105 languages, and it continues to grow.
The primary goal is to educate and empower a diverse
coalition of people to tackle the climate crisis.
Accurately translating scientific research is challenging,
even for experienced professionals. Some terminology
does not exist globally and needs to be explained,
rather than directly translated, to ensure the meaning is
conveyed. For student translator Khulan Erdenedalai,
translating this passage about regenerative strategies
into Mongolian came with a number of challenges:
The term regenerative refers to the capability of
ecosystems to self-regulate and self-maintain and so adapt
to change and interference.(1) As the capacity of natural
systems to regenerate has been severely affected by
human actions, the need to restore, renew and revitalize
ecosystems is one of the key priorities in combating climate
change. This can be achieved through approaches such as
regenerative and restorative land use and agriculture, that
combine conservation and rehabilitation practices to foster
resilience and improve the health of ecosystems.
COLD REALITY
Ice melting in the
Antarctic is a disturbing
symptom of climate
change (main image);
and (above) Climate
Cardinals Director of
Research, Rohan Arora
SOUNDING THE
CLIMATE ALARM
