Recently I was sitting in class when I began to notice how often the word “narrative” was popping up in our conversation. Practically every person who spoke used it at least twice. It got me thinking that sometimes we rely too much on certain popular words. This problem is especially prominent when talking about environmentalism. A buzzword is a word or phrase that is used so frequently that it basically becomes meaningless. Probably the two words that are used most often when talking about environmentalism are "sustainability," and "green." Other environmental buzzwords include "global climate change/global warming," "eco-friendly," “green house gases,” "renewable," and "carbon footprint."

One problem with these words is that they over-generalize. Words like “green” and “sustainability” are used as blanket terms for anything having to do with environmentalism, from CO2 emissions to water contamination, to species preservation etc. People (myself included) are lazy. They don’t want to take the time to explain the specific nature of whatever they are talking about so instead they resort to buzzwords.

To give an example, one might say that “composting is sustainable.” But what does composting do exactly? It prevents waste from going into the landfill. Landfills are bad because they contaminate the land and water around them, harming people and animals. That is still a very general description of what composting does, but it is more meaningful than simply saying that composting is “sustainable.”

Another problem with buzzwords is that people who use them often do not know what they mean. They have heard the word used so often that they learn the general context in which it is used and they start using them. But they do not actually know the origin of the word. “Sustainable," “green,” and “eco-friendly” are all used as synonyms for each other, but they actually have distinct meanings.

To return to the example of “sustainability” I think this word is most often misunderstood. According to Merriam-Webster, “sustainable” means “able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed” or “able to last or continue for a long time.” Is that what you were expecting? Perhaps not. "Green" on the other hand, as used in the context of the environmental movement, means "relating to or being an environmental political movement" or "tending to preserve environmental quality." Saying something is "sustainable" is clearly not the same as saying that it is "green."

Yet another problem with environmental buzzwords is that they promote a type of language that excludes people. People often use buzzwords because they don’t fully understand the issue at hand but they want to sound smart when talking about it. They can’t explain the specifics so they use a general term knowing that in more general terms they can’t be wrong. This leads to culture where big words are valued simply for being big words. Those who don’t understand the terminology often feel stupid, uninformed, and unwelcome. As a consequence, they refrain from participating in the dialogue. What these people often don’t realize is that many of the people who use buzzwords understand them no more than those who are afraid of using them incorrectly. When people feel uncomfortable sharing their insights because they feel like they don’t understand the language being used, much of the value of discourse is lost.

So how can we avoid buzzwords? I say, whatever you are talking about, be as specific as possible. Say what you really mean instead of resorting to a blanket term. Buzzwords exist in other places besides environmental discussions. Just think of the word "cool." Now imagine telling your friend that the concert last night was "cool." Are you really telling your friend anything at all about the concert other than that you liked it? In these circumstances, it doesn't really matter if you use a general term or not-- your friend can always ask for more specifics if they want to. But in certain situations, including discussions about the environment, people are often too afraid to ask for specifics for fear of looking stupid, ignorant, etc. The same thing often happens in professional circles with words such as "growth" or "innovation." In general, we all need to be more conscious of how we use language. If we want to be able to engage in productive discourse and work toward our goals, environmental and otherwise, we need to speak clearly and persuasively.