Ecology, responsibility, and moral accounting

Abstract This article examines the use of the term ślad (‘footprint’, ‘trace’) in Polish online press, particularly in equivalents of footprint metaphors (e.g., carbon footprint ). It aims to identify the broader frames and contexts in which these metaphors appear and the framing of responsible entities. Previous studies highlight how terms like the carbon footprint often attribute environmental impact to individual actions. This study confirms this trend in contexts like weight-based footprints and travel, but also finds that in the frame of resource use, products and processes are construed as responsible. Researchers of metaphors in science claim that environmental metaphors shape moral judgments and this study explores how metaphorical footprints and traces relate to morality and responsibility in Polish online press. Using examples from four press outlets, the study demonstrates the evaluative role of metaphorical footprints and traces, and their use in moral accounting.