Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong 1 “Shades of Green”: Environmental discourses Media, Politics and the Environment Miklos

Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong

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“Shades of Green”: Environmental discourses

Media, Politics and the Environment

Miklos Sukosd

March 28, 2012


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Discourses – what are they? Large worldviews, concepts, ideologies, including

frames, agendas and metaphors in political and media language

The need for reflection of the language we use in environmental journalism and communication

“What kind of environmental discourse?” “Shades of green”


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Dryzek’s logic Making sense of Earth's politics: a discourse approach

1. Looming tragedy: survivalism (tragedy of the commons)

2. Growth forever: the Promethean response

3. Leave it to the experts: administrative rationalism

4. Leave it to the people: democratic pragmatism

5. Leave it to the market: economic rationalism

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1. Environmentally benign growth: sustainable development

2. Industrial society and beyond: ecological modernization

3. Changing people: green consciousness

4. Changing society: green politics Ecological democracy


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1. Sustainable development SD never an accomplished fact, except in small hunter-

gatherer and agricultural societies with low level of economic and technological development

Origins: Report by Brundtland Commission (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987)

UN report to reconcile environmental and development issues (environmental damage, population, peace and security, social justice both within and across generations) that had been competitive or antagonistic


SD: “Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable -- to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (1987:8).

In essence, SD is a process of change in which “exploitation of resources, the direction of investment, the orientation of technological development, and industrial change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations” (1987:46).

Deeper history: resource management concept in maximum sustainable yield (fishery, forest, game animals that can be sustained indefinitely)

Intelligent operation of natural systems and human systems in combination

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Sustainable development--discourse

Discourse: no limits to growth, capitalist economy (competition de-emphasized though), anthropocentric, „think globally, act locally”, self-conscious improvement, open-ended learning of humankind (like lifetime learning), progress in the environmental era

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Criticisms of sustainable development Contestation over essence of SD Actors: many agents at many levels, international (IGO + global

civil society) and sub-national (NGO) Elasticity of concept: different meanings and interpretations Environmentalist critique: intrinsic notions of nature are missing Developing countries: stress on global redistribution Western countries: developing countries cannot follow same path

of industrialization Business: sustained economic growth + „green-painting” Real life results? Miniscule compared to liberalization of global

trade and capital

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Central concept in environmental discourses like SD + bandwagon

Common interest of public policy makers, businesses, and citizen-consumers

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2. Ecological modernization (or green capitalism)


Most successful environmental policy performances: “clean and green five” (Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden)

High energy efficiency of national income

Low per capita emissions of pollutants

Low per capita generation of household garbage and solid waste

Rate of change of going green also leading

Origins: precautionary principle (Germany and EU), dependence on imported energy (imported oil, Japan)

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Corporatist policymaking, including green NGOs

Conscious and coordinated efforts

Pollution prevention pays

Much sharper focus than SD on what to be done, especially within the nation state

Green capitalism as “Practical” SD

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Discourse: economic development and environmental protection can go hand in hand and reinforce each other, systems approach (production, consumption, resource depletion, pollution interrelated), limits ignored, partnership of government, business, reformist NGOs and scientists, capitalist restructuring of political economy, anthropocentric, focus on human desires and calculations, nature as waste treatment plant, Oikos (household): economics and ecology, social progress, reassurance, optimism.

Technological vs. radical ecological (democratic, risk society-Ulrich Beck) modernization

Critical point: green business aspects not emphasized enough

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3. Green consciousness

Change not institutions, but human sensitivities, empathy, insight, experiences vs. reason

Romanticism?

Change starts with ourselves

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Deep ecology

Ecological sensibility, self-realization and biocentric equality

Deep consciousness and awareness of organic unity between humans, flora, fauna and the Earth

Biocentric equality: no species, including the human species, is regarded as more valuable in any sense than other species vs. “anthropocentric arrogance”

Diversity is intrinsic value irrespective of human interests

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Human population should be reduced „in the interests of the non-human community”

Misanthropist extremes welcome famine and disease: humankind as a cancer of the Earth

What to do? Wilderness: preserve and protect it

Lack of policy visions

Discourse: people should change first, not institutions, realm of culture and society, Earth First! how to convince others, and change institutions?

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Eco-feminism

Not anthropocentrism, but androcentrism is the problem

Patriarchy, male domination subjugating both nature and women

Nature and women, nature in women: fertility—give birth and nurture children

Male rationality took the world to the edge of destruction

"Feel it” (“feel nature”)

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Bioregionalism

Sense of place emphasized

Ecosystem boundaries (watershed, vegetation) vs. political or ethnic boundaries

Economic autarchy (self-sustaining regions)

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Lifestyle greens

Green consumerism (prefers cosmetics without animal testing, local food, biodegradable cleaning products, recycled paper, Fair Trade, etc.)

Vegetarianism on environmental grounds

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Eco-theology

Spiritual roots of environmental problems: “be more humble”

Environmental degradation: failure of Enlightenment project

Christian: man as shepherd of the Earth, Book of Genesis

Buddhist: karma, dependent origination, emptiness

Hindu (Hare Krishna): karma, vegetarianism on religious grounds

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Conclusions Discourses are larger, more general units of

thought than frames

Identification of different environmental discourses in media and communication

Comparisons between environment. discourses

SWOT analysis of environmental discourses (strengths and weaknesses)

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Documents

Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong 1 “Shades of Green”: Environmental discourses Media, Politics and the Environment Miklos