Marta Abbà
News about climate change can drive action, inertia or despair—this is confirmed by George Tudorică, who has mathematically analysed readers’ reactions, and Rohan Chakravarty, who creates cartoons to encourage people to take the issue more seriously
If the prevailing mood is negative: – 1. If, instead, there is a sense of optimism and hope: + 1. This is neither a game nor a test—it is sentiment analysis1. We are in the field of natural language processing, a branch of AI, and it does not analyse actual emotions, but rather numerical values returned by an algorithm. Some may recoil at the idea of reducing emotions to numbers and confining their vastness to a binary system, but for now, this remains one of the best techniques for quickly, uniformly, and consistently analysing large volumes of text. For example, all the Top 25 World News Headlines on Reddit from 2018 to 2023.
How climate sentiment is changing
It may seem like a peculiar, sentiment-laden “press review”, but Bogdan George Tudorică and the five other researchers involved had a different and clear objective: to understand how public “sentiment” has evolved regarding issues such as the climate crisis and the environment.
Bogdan George Tudorică is a university professor with expertise in computer programming, computer networks, data analysis, databases, computer security, multimedia and educational technologies. He holds a degree in Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence (2024), a PhD in Economic Informatics (2014) and has contributed to numerous educational and research projects. He is currently head of the Department of Cybernetics, Economic Informatics, Finance and Accounting at the Petroleum-Gas University in Ploiești (Romania). Furthermore, he is an experienced trainer, instructor and reviewer of international scientific publications.
By examining the most highly rated articles on Reddit, an internationally influential social media platform, they identified certain trends, which they shared in a scientific paper published in Frontiers2.
«By analysing the frequency and context of various environmental issues discussed, we identified the most prominent topics in public discourse, such as renewable energy, climate strategies, pollution, biodiversity loss, and sustainable living practices. We also sought to determine the sentiment associated with each of these», Tudorică explains.
Renewables and sustainability tend to spark optimism and engagement, whereas pollution and climate change often provoke concern or a sense of urgency. Nothing shocking emerges from this initial static analysis. However, when a “longitudinal analysis” is conducted over time, it becomes possible to discern how emotions linked to each topic have evolved over the years. This reveals less obvious trends, such as the recent rise in attention to climate resilience and adaptation strategies, or the increasingly intense “pre-occupation” with the impacts of climate change.
These findings are valuable not only for politicians but also for researchers and environmentalists, Tudorică notes, explaining why: «Politicians can better understand public reactions to environmental events and adjust their communication strategies accordingly. Researchers can study the relationship between media coverage and public opinion on environmental issues. Environmental organisations can use these insights to enhance their campaigns, focusing on topics that resonate most with the public».
By starting with sentiment, translated into -1 and +1, everyone can run their own calculations to craft messages and strategies that are more effective and aligned with public concerns, potentially leading to greater engagement and stronger support for climate action.
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What influences perception
Time moves inexorably forward, shaping sentiment, but it is not the only force at play. Other, far less predictable and regular factors also exert a significant influence.
«By linking shifts in prevailing sentiment to environmental events, political announcements, and international agreements, we found several correlations», Tudorică reports, citing news about international climate agreements as a prime example. «Such news often triggers a wave of optimism among readers regarding climate policy and international cooperation».
Delving deeper into the two general trends that seem to divide people into naive optimists and worried pessimists, the study’s authors also uncovered more nuanced differences within public opinion on environmental issues.
«On one hand, there is significant support for green initiatives», Tudorică explains. «On the other hand, debates and conflicting sentiments arise around topics such as the economic impact of transitioning to a low-carbon economy. These findings reflect the complexities and trade-offs inherent in shaping environmental policies».
The resulting picture is rich with shades and shifting hues, reflecting the dynamic nature of environmental discourse.
«Discussions on adaptation and resilience are continually increasing, suggesting a growing awareness of the need not only to mitigate climate change but also to adapt to its inevitable impacts», he adds.
«The rise in positive discourse around solutions and innovative technologies for environmental problems further suggests an encouraging shift towards a more solution-oriented approach».
In this forward-looking vision of proactivity and dialogue, one must always consider the risk of interference from other domains, which can significantly distort the “pure” sentiment people feel towards the environment and the idea of preserving it.
Tudorică specifically refers to political conflicts, strained international relations, and global economic issues, offering several examples: the relationship between the United States and Israel and their respective leaders’ stances on climate change, the competition between the United States and China, and even the COVID-19 pandemic. The latter event also impacted pollution levels, wildlife, and emissions, leading to greater awareness of the importance of global health.
And then there are wars, which interfere with climate action as well. «The Ukraine-Russia conflict, in particular, demonstrates that geopolitical stability and cooperation are essential to tackling environmental issues», he states. «In general, international conflicts can seriously hinder the achievement of environmental goals and highlight the need for diplomatic engagement in shaping environmental policies».
Laughing to avoid ignoring
From India, some have also noticed «a strong shift to the right, a growing disengagement» on climate issues, and are concerned:
«Propaganda is prevailing over science due to the extreme polarisation of opinion, both on social media and in daily life».
This observation comes from Rohan Chakravarty, cartoonist and founder of Green Humour.
As an illustrator, he has chosen to communicate climate issues through cartoons to make people laugh—but also to make them think. «Drawing humorous cartoons on these topics is, for me, an act of friendship towards the audience, placing an intermediate step between them and the often long and complex science articles», he explains. «To engage those who feel excluded or annoyed by such topics, a humorous approach can be essential. Humour does not trivialise, it makes some messages more accessible. The emotion people feel when confronted with an environmental issue does not change; in fact, it often emerges more quickly. But the cartoon should not replace the paper, it should complement it». In Chakravarty’s view, these are different elements that must be brought together:
«I believe it could be very useful for artists and scientists to work together to make environmental communication more effective, each without losing their own nature».
Rohan Chakravarty is a cartoonist, illustrator and creator of Green Humour, a series of cartoons, comics and illustrations about wildlife and nature conservation. Green Humour cartoons appear periodically in newspaper, magazine and magazine columns and have been used for various projects and campaigns to raise awareness about wildlife and climate change. Rohan is also the author of nine books (including Penguin publications “Green Humour for a Greying Planet”, “Naturalist Ruddy” and “Sea Ice Now You Don’t”) and has won awards from UNDP, Sanctuary Asia, WWF International, Royal Bank of Scotland and Bangalore Literature Festival for his work. He is known for rolling himself up into a ball like a pangolin to avoid answering the phone or meeting people.
Green HumourVisit the official website
Instagram profileMaking space for the environment
Whether or not scientists are allies, making people laugh while discussing the environment remains a challenge. Chakravarty noticed this from the outset, when he had to carve out a space in the Indian cartooning scene, where those addressing strictly political topics, often through conflicting and polemical sentiments, tend to succeed.
«It was difficult to be taken seriously by the media and to get published: everyone asked me for images about political events, but I wanted to talk about nature, ecology, science, and climate», he recounts. Now he does it, evoking strong and important emotions, but professional challenges persist as the media landscape constantly evolves, requiring adaptation and attention to new trends. «Social media has had a big impact: audiences there seek immediate and concise content», he explains. «When trying to condense a complex issue like the climate crisis into a visual square, the risk is oversimplifying its complexity and obscuring its nuances». As an example, Chakravarty points to the floods that hit Valencia, Spain, in autumn 2024: «There was so much to tell, but people want everything to be communicated in a single image, and sometimes that is just not possible. This is the real challenge for those like me who want to communicate these topics today».
Beyond polarisation
Not omitting or oversimplifying, but also not boring or frightening: evoking emotion. Which one? «That depends on the message but also on the recipient, their background, and their lifestyle», Chakravarty explains. «Nothing should ever be taken for granted. Experts are not necessarily more sensitive: creative communication can engage all kinds of people». Art, therefore, becomes a means of broadening the audience and inspiring a constructive, proactive sentiment towards the environment, or at least attempting to do so. «Some perceive the possibility of making positive changes, both in their lives and in their communities, while others experience anxiety», Chakravarty explains. «Sentiment also depends on the type of media».
A suo avviso, infatti, i giornali stampati raggiungono persone che vogliono contenuti approfonditi da analizzare e spesso danno feedback dettagliati sulla vignetta: «è un dibattito sano e profondo che non si ritrova nei social» spiega. Nelle bacheche online, infatti, le sue opere non vengono colte in tutti i loro dettagli e sfumature. «Si perde la capacità di osservare le sottigliezze di questo tipo di comunicazione, ma in compenso si riesce ad attirare verso le tematiche ambientali un tipo di pubblico che altrimenti non le affronterebbe» ammette.
In his view, print newspapers reach people who seek in-depth content and often provide detailed feedback on cartoons: «It is a healthy and profound debate that is rarely found on social media», he explains. Online his work is not always appreciated in its full detail and nuance. «The ability to observe the subtleties of this type of communication is lost, but in return, it helps attract an audience that might not otherwise engage with environmental issues», he admits.
Between print media and social platforms, Chakravarty has observed that «the most sensitive and engaged individuals are women and children, while men tend to be more indifferent. The prevailing sentiment is compassion, in its original meaning of “feeling emotions with”, whether pleasant or unpleasant. And it is stronger in women and younger people. This drives them to more courageously make positive changes in their lives and their communities. Behind an apparently passive emotion like compassion, there is a blueprint for proactivity».
- For a technological insight into sentiment analysis, Gillis, A. S., & Barney, N. (2024, August 28). What is sentiment analysis? Search Business Analytics. https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/definition/opinion-mining-sentiment-mining ↩︎
- The original scientific paper with the results of the study, Bucur, C., Tudorica, B., Andrei, J. V., Dusmanescu, D., Paraschiv, D., & Teodor, C. (2024). Sentiment analysis of global news on environmental issues: insights into public perception and its impact on low-carbon economy transition. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1360304 ↩︎
