Metaphors of transformation: An analysis of the discourse on energy transition in the Turów and Eastern Wielkopolska brown coal region

Abstract

The paper aims to explore the public's readiness for the transition process. It presents the language used to discuss transition and decarbonization in two lignite basins in Poland: Konin and Bogatynia. The timeframe of the analysis is roughly the last ten years, with particular emphasis on the last five years. The analysis is primarily qualitative in nature. Methodologically, it draws on the cognitive linguistics developed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson; it also incorporates the work of other researchers interested in meaning-making in the context of sensory experience, culture, and even geopolitics. I treat metaphors as a cognitive tool for taming unknown and uncertain reality. I put forward the thesis that the presence of metaphors in discourse can indicate that the process being described is proceeding vaguely, as there is still a lack of certainties and specifics. In addition, I show that metaphors can reflexively influence the community's willingness to think creatively and imagine reality. Examples are provided of how, with the help of metaphors formulated by important actors in the transformation, communication can be manipulated and the willingness of the public to participate in the transformation process can be influenced. I conclude that the metaphors used serve not only to describe reality, but also to motivate action.