A study published in the journal iScience claims that so-called climate change affects “language complexity among politicians,” therefore affecting the “quality of political discourse.”
Some of the “highlights” discussed in the study include that heat is “associated with decreased productivity and cognitive performance” and that “climate change could reduce the speech complexity and productivity of politicians.”
The study’s authors assert that “language complexity” in political discourse has decreased over the past 200 years, while at the same time, populist leaders and movements have increased.
“We put forth the hypothesis that extreme temperatures negatively affect speech complexity among politicians, thereby leading to a simplification of political rhetoric,” the authors write.
Researchers relied on German data for the study, finding that heat has a “detrimental effect” on political discourse, especially in older politicians.
“Our findings thus provide initial evidence that the complexity of political speech – a crucial element of political discourse – are influenced not only by strategic political and legislative considerations, but also by physiological processes triggered by external environmental factors,” they write.
The authors note in their conclusion that the findings suggest that if a “decrease in language complexity is indicative of reduced cognitive performance,” then alleged climate change contributes to the “overall productivity of parliament members.”
“Consequently, the influence of extreme temperatures on politicians’ cognitive performance, even within the climate-controlled environment of a parliament, could have far-reaching negative implications for society as a whole,” the authors state.
Another study claimed that climate change negatively affects mental health.
The study used participant testimonials for data, assessing “how people are struggling with worries about their future, and the impact of specific ecosystems on communities that rely very intimately on those ecosystems.”
According to the study, negative emotions such as worry, grief, and frustration emerge when considering long-term climate change.
