On climate apocalypse

Abstract

The right-wing has accused the climate movement, and the climate science upon which it is based, of being apocalyptic to in order to discredit it. This editorial discusses whether we should accept describing the climate movement as apocalyptic. It does so by exploring the etymology of the term and its use in its religious/historical contexts. It discusses its relationship to the interrelated terms of prophecy, messianism, eschatology, and millenarianism. Through a deconstruction and demystification of the term apocalypse in its biblical historical context, it argues that we need to have a secular understanding of it which is indeed applicable to the climate crisis.