Attending to the local in a global emergency: translation as a lens on climate crisis CIMS Seminar in the Environmental Humanities by Professor Şebnem Susam-Saraeva (The University of Edinburgh)

As one of the most global conversations in history, climate crisis discourse is intrinsically dependent on and intertwined with ‘translation': from ‘knowledge translation' (KT, mainly referring to the dissemination of research findings to stakeholders and general population) and metaphorical use (translating scientific information into effective action), to interlingual translation and interpreting (research papers, children's literature addressing eco-anxiety, interpreting in international climate summits), translation emerges as a key concept in this global emergency.

The talk will delve deeper into these different aspects and uses of translation in climate crisis discourse, using examples from scholarly texts as well as media items based on relevant research. The objectives are to shed light on the workings of climate crisis discourse through the lens of translation, and to argue that a renewed focus on the local through a spotlight on interlingual translation may address some of the issues currently faced by scientists and policymakers.