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The Climate Change Sublime: Leveraging The Immense Awe Of The Planetary Threat Of Climate Change, Sean D. Quartz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Environmental communication scholarship has not significantly advanced the fundamental theories of sublime discourse since their introduction with John Muir and his advocacy for Yosemite National Park. Such a lacuna is problematic, as humanity is entering the age of the Anthropocene where vast ecological destruction is becoming increasingly relevant, and audience engagement is essential if we are to mitigate the worst to come. This essay seeks to remedy the lack of inquiry into how sublime discourse is used to engage audiences with elements of the Anthropocene, in particular, climate change. Based on the analysis of two documentaries, Chasing Ice and Chasing …