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Glite Dictionary
climate arson

climate arson

9.5
Intentional actions that harm the environment and make climate change worse
  • noun
  • /ˈklaɪmət ˈɑːrsən/
  • Neologism
translation icon : incendio climático
  • The government was accused of climate arson after rolling back environmental protections.

Examples

  • Laws aimed to prevent climate arson have been proposed by several environmental organizations.

  • Many activists are rallying against climate arson in their communities.

  • International leaders warned that climate arson threatens the future of the planet.

  • The recent wildfires were an act of climate arson!

  • International leaders warned that climate arson threatens the future of the planet.

  • Many activists are rallying against climate arson in their communities.

  • The government was accused of climate arson after rolling back environmental protections.

Synonyms

ecocide
vsclimate arson
1 8.8

Severe large-scale damage to the natural environment caused by people

focuses on deliberate acts that harm the climate specifically rather than broad environmental crimes

How Severe

ecocide
1 8.8
climate arson
  • Neologism
9.5

Surface Forms

climate arson singular
climate arsons plural

Morphology

climate + arson

The sense of deliberate harm to the environment is largely inferable from combining 'climate' (the environmental target) with 'arson' (intentional destructive act), so a learner who knows both words can get the general idea. However, the use of 'arson' metaphorically for non-fire actions (and the phrase's relatively novel, figurative use) may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

Climate arson comes from the strong image of arson (someone lighting a fire to destroy things) put together with climate, like someone setting the planet on fire. So it means 'deliberate actions that damage the environment and make climate change worse'.