I love a good cynical take as much as the next HN reader, but as a researcher working in the environmental/climate space many of us are using these words because the are true. Sure there are some folks I consider full of buzzwords and light on substance but I think it's warranted for scientists to make "inflated" claims to get their research noticed. Yes, there are structural problems in academia and research funding that do need to be fixed, but I'm not sure this shift in language is completely a symptom of it. People are actually dying out there and we are pleading to get funding to try to help.

Just the last couple of weeks: - Flooding in Pakistan kills 1000+: https://www.vox.com/world/2022/8/30/23327725/pakistan-floodi...

- Ongoing slow disaster in the Colorado River Basin: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/27/1119550028/7-states-and-feder...

- Jackson, MS water crisis: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/30/us/jackson-water-system-faili...

- Record breaking heat forecasted for CA this coming week: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-31/the-heat...

- Spanish drought destroys harvests: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62707435

- China factories shut down because of heat wave: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-factories-hurt-amid-covi...

- Drought dries up rivers in France: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/frances-river-loire-set...