Environmental Communication (Essay Sample)

1. General barriers to environmental behaviour change (a). Absence of Knowledge One of the main problems dealing in environmental behaviours is that people or companies are mostly unaware of the nature, scale and future risk of the problem. On top of all this they are unaware of the importance of absence of this unawareness. Addressing the problem As we talked in class there are people who don't know the scale of the problem as a result they don't consider it important to take any positive step about it. This is used for sceptics to create more doubt. In order to address this problem a sort of communication must be created that not only informs people about the magnitude of the problem but also produce sentimental emotions in them. Mentioning and highlighting those things that have value for them, like the safety of their families, so that they may get engaged in them and take proper action. (b). Psychological denial The advertising used for general awareness in the public must create interest in viewers about the problems. Poor advertising can cause people to distract from the required information and causes psychological denial. Psychological denial is caused if advertising is too sad and gloomy, uninteresting or makes the audience feel guilty. People usually deny climate change and future catastrophes that it can cause. They behave in this manner because they don't want to get depressed and worried or feel bad by thinking on climatic changes. For example as Xochilt mentioned in class there are T.V. advertisements showing polar bears on a thin piece of ice. The objective of this advertisement is to aware people about the climatic changes and melting of Antarctic ice but such type of advertisement is too sad. As a result of which people often tend to change channels in order to avoid feelings of sadness because they feel as they cannot do anything about this issue. Addressing the problem A strategy to address this problem is to deliver the message that not only describes the problem but at the same time creates hope in the viewers and makes them feel like them can do something about this issue. (c). Absence of Financial Incentives Relaxation in taxes and providing incentives to companies and people, who follow the environment protection rules, is another way of communicating the importance of environmental problems. If the latest green energy vehicles like hydrogen or electricity operated cars are tax free. More people will consider buying these and this will result in huge reduction of greenhouse gases that are produced by petroleum driven cars and vehicles. Addressing the problem Financial incentives can be provided to public through different means so that they change their behaviour towards the environment. For example as we talked in class if the government provides tax advantages for people who use bicycles instead of cars people would be more likely to prefer bicycles. Secondly if bicycles were tax-free there would be more people interested in buying and using bicycles. 2. Tragedy of the commons and its relevance to Environmental behaviour change The "tragedy of common" is a situation where individuals deplete a shared common resource by acting independently for personal gain and neglecting the interests of the group. For a time being individuals are benefited but in a long run they suffer because the resource is no more available for public use CITATION Vic \l 1033 (Ponce, n.d.). Example of tragedy of commons is the world population problem. A common is thinking about his own benefit rather collectively. And this inherent logic of common inevitably generates tragedy. Similarly William Forster gave an example of herders sharing a common grazing area for their cows. English villagers, some times, graze their sheeps in the same area. sheeps eat grass more rapidly as compared to cows. And if every herder enters his own sheeps in the grazzing area, the overall effect will be there would be shortage of fresh grass as a result common good will be depleted. The solution to this problem is government may limit the total amount of a common good that is present for use of an individual. Permit systems for fishing, hunting, live stock raising may be started. Similarly individuals, should on their own, starts protecting the rights of others and think collectively. 3. Importance of concept of Framing in Environmental Communication Framing is the method to relate two different scenarios so that if someone encounters with similar situation can assess what's the problem and how to deal with it. Framing is a communication technique in which people are not only guided about what to think but also how to think and act upon it. Communicating the environmental problems framing can be most useful technique to pursue people to act like they should be. For example advertising can be made showing two people one caring for environment and other not caring and taking his children to hospitals. 4. Heuristics and its importance in Environmental Communication Heuristics, in words of Cialdini, can be defined as simple procedures or predefined methods that provide answers to relatively complex questions. Heuristics is psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning. It is very important technique to persuade people towards environmental change in behaviour because we can link our objective to emotional and psychological response of the people. As a result people are in a situation where they can be convinced more easily by relating the environmental behaviour to a specific norm. There are a lot of approaches in heuristic model but for environmental behaviour change I am more convinced at commitment and consistency approach. It is important to mention that several authors say that heuristics do not work for environmental purposes but I believe it can work in some specific situations. 5. Spillover effect and its limitation in context of Environmental Behaviour Change A secondary effect that follows from a primary effect and may be far removed in time or place from the event that caused primary effect. Effect of process upon those who are not directly involved in it.it is one of the concepts of environmental communications in which it is explained how pro environmental behaviour in one area or domain have effect on other in the same context. Reason-1 It seems as spillover effects are due to overwhelming self-identity if they show, however the limitation in context to environment...