By distinguishing future from present in what we say, can we end up saving less and even caring less for the environment, asks James Harbeck.What if the language you spoke caused you to perceive time differently?Does that sound like magic realism? Close: it’s economics. Some recent research papers published in economics journals – notably a 2013 paper by Keith Chen of Yale and a 2018 paper by three Australian economists – have proposed that languages that grammatically distinguish future from present cause their speakers to plan less, save less, even care less for the environment.More like this:- Will we stop speaking and just text?- The ancient ‘viral memes’ still with us- The rebirth of Cornish and other lost UK languagesThat sound you just heard was thousands of linguists rolling their eyes and groaning “Whorf”.Bejamin Lee Whorf was an inspector for a fire insuran
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