8 page essay due 4.13
Nancy 00001
EnvironmentCommunicationaddresstoclimatechange.docxRunning head: ENVIRONMENT COMMUNICATION TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE 1
ENVIRONMENT COMMUNICATION TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE 6
Environment Communication to Address Climate Change
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
My Energy use for the entire day
When I wake up in the morning, the following are ways through which I use energy until such a time when I retire to bed:
· Lighting the room that consumes about 8% of the energy.
· Cooking using an electric oven that consumes 14% of the energy and other time use gas cookers.
· The refrigerator that remains on throughout consumes about 18% of the energy.
· Cooling and heating of the water using dispensers and also microwave that consumes about 10% of the energy.
· Dishwashing that uses about 6% of the energy.
· Washing and drying of the clothes that uses 18% of energy.
· Fueling of the car using petrol to go out for the shopping and other activities of interest to me that uses 20% of energy.
· Use of the laptop to do research and other assignments that uses 2% of energy.
· TV and DVDs use 4% of the energy.
Considering different ways that I do use energy, some of them pose a potential adverse effect on the climate change such as carbon emission from petrol fuels. Additionally, sources of the energy that is used are not renewable and considering some of the machines that I use such as washers and dryers, refrigerators and electric cookers, it means that I am one of the people that contribute climate change and therefore, there is need to innovatively consider strategies that I need to in place to reduce energy consumption which would go along way in minimizing negative that I cause to the environment. To deeply address concerns of the climate change in the wider context, I will thoroughly reflect on the week 2, 3, 6, 9, 10 and 11 which address various issues that relate to environmental communication.
Reflection on Energy on use and its integration to climate change and also environmental communication.
In the earlier section, I have identified various through which is use energy when I wake up unto when I retire to sleep. It is equivocal that some of the ways through which I used energy have been introduced after the industrial revolution and even more machines are being introduced which uses fossils fuels which are continually causing climate changes. For example, washing machines and dry cleaners and vehicles are some of the machines which contribute emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that have an adverse effect on the environment. From my personal experiences and upon reflection of the material that I have covered for the past weeks, there are 8 core concepts and ideas that require attention in the resolve to address climate change and revamp environmental communication. These ideas and concepts are as discussed below:
a) Risk factors of climate change
It is important to become aware of the risk factors of climate change. I cannot wait to be a victim of the flooding, earthquakes and wildfires to advocate for preservation and conservation of the environment. It was during last year when I witnessed a bush fire that consumed million of the hectares killing billion of the animals and claiming lives of more than 30 people. I may not take action and assume that I will not be affected but I am concerned because it cannot wait and see. This is because I might find myself consumed and affected when disaster. Precipitation has increased, global warming has been on the rise, surface temperature and also environment is becoming hostile to an extent that 2.5 billion of the pola bear have been reported to have been starving because of the climate change. Therefore, I find it important to be aware of the risk factor of the climate change because it creates synergy and motivation to stand up and communicate with a strong defense of the need for taking environmental protection seriously.
b) Voices that address climate change.
It indisputable that climate change negatively affects the healthy environment but it is growing concern that very few people are willing to stand up including myself and create awareness among the public. Pezzullo and Cox have brought to attention six types of the people that are monumental in environmental communication. These include journalists, political class, scientist, NGOs, businesses and citizens. (Pezzullo and Cox, PP. 22-26). These are people that should stand up and brace themselves to address issues that are a threat to the environment. In particular, they should forget their own issues and address matters and issues that pertain to the common good. It is until that topic and agenda of the public deliberation are centered on the common good such protection if space and atmosphere that influences to align themselves on the subject matter of the discussion which finally inform them developing the collective goal that is focused on the preservation of the environment.
Personally, I have a fridge, vehicle, dryers and other machines that use energy and contribute pollution of the environment. In order to align and buy to the vision of the common good, use of public transport could help to lower carbon emissions where one public vehicle can carry 30 people instead of having 30 private vehicles on the road.
However, out of the six voices, two voices that can significantly influence environmental communication are a journalist and political class but they are doing very little in an effort of minimizing climate change. By exclusively focusing on the journalism, a study that was carried in 2009 as shown in the slide 43 of the week 2, 20% of the media focused on the economy while least percentage that is 1% focused on global warming. I am extremely worried why would media basically neglect global warming and climate change in their coverage yet economy can significantly be depressed by climate change. In my view, the journalist should scale up their coverage in the climate change and explore all issues that are likely to impact the environment and create necessary links on how climate change can affect social, economic and political dimension.
The political class is another important voice that should rise to the occasion in the protection and conservation of the environment. This can take the form of the legislation, allocation of adequate resources to enhance conservation of the environment and also conducting civic education. However, it is disappointing that politician such as Justin Trudeau instead of developing strategies that promote conservation of the environment use private jet in the campaign.
c) Forces of capitalism
Majority of the countries have pursued capitalism economy. Personally, I am a victim of the capitalist where I struggle to create wealth. In the capitalist, methods that pursued to become rich does not matter and most of them lead to destruction and pollution of the environment. In other words, destruction and creation take place simultaneously in capitalism. Evolution of capitalism can be traced from the onset introduction of the industrial revolution. Steam engines, industries, urbanization and development of the transport networks. Trees were cleared to create room for setting up the industries, factories and industries released and continue to release air pollution and also discharge effluents into water bodies that affect both human beings that depend on such water sources consumption and also affects aquatic life.
In the quest of the creation of the wealth in the capitalism structure, it is important to recognize that capacity of the survival is determined by the limits of nature. It does not make sense to use machines that lead to emission of the greenhouses gases which eventually leads to global warming. Global warming will eventually lead to flooding, hurricane and drought which would cause the business to close when incurs losses that it cannot recover when stricken by the disasters. Therefore, it is important to invest in sustainable technology and also renewable sources of energy and in general, embrace green capitalism.
d) Companies and employees fight the impact of climate change
In the individual capacity, it is necessary to take personal initiatives in the fight of the impact of climate change. One of the initiatives that I took in the last years was to mobilize my friends and participating in the tree planting exercise. In Canada, forest cover has declined due to an increase in the population as well as an increase in the logging activities.
Bezos created Bezos Earth Fund aimed to fight climate change. Bezos acknowledges that climate change is one of the greatest threat to the planet. Commitment by the Bezos came a time that the employees had planned work out and mounted pressure citing that the company failed to take adequate measures in the corporate responsibility address climate crisis. I t is within this framework that Bezos committed $10 billion to the Earth Fund that Bezos stated would be used to address climate changes. Further, Bezos reiterated his commitment to promoting activities geared to conserve environment where it announced by 2030, it would be 100% in using renewable sources of the energy and also it would have reached carbon neutrality by 2040 (Cohen, 2020).
Former UN chief of the climate calls for civil disobedience to compel institutions to respond to climate change. According to writers of the Book Out tomorrow which former UN chief of the climate is one of them, they argue that climate change should be number one priority for those seeking higher offices where they should provide guidelines on how they would solve prevailing climate problems (McMahon, 2020). Addressing climate change should no longer be an option but should be a top priority and people should not fear when practicing in civil disobedience because this is one of the ways of the compelling the leaders to take proactive actions to address climate change.
I find it very interesting if all companies can develop strategies, establish the department and allocate resources which would be used in addressing climate change. The success of the business are impacted greatly by climate change. For example, climate change affects the access of the raw materials, affects employees because of some of the contract diseases which ultimately results to lower productivity. In order to be in a better position, companies should strategize on how to fight the impact of climate change for the businesses to remain afloat in the long-run.
e) Reduction of the greenhouses gases and change of the social media approach
It is necessary for environmental communication to be mainstreamed and aligned to enhance the reduction of climate change. I am extremely disappointed by the manner in which media houses and marketing activities are carried out underestimating the seriousness of climate change. Climate change should be given the seriousness it deserves by the media houses but when I review week 6 lecture, it is noted that fossil fuels adverts are made 5 times more than climate reporting. Social marketing sites should give much attention to the climate reporting to help inform and create awareness among the public on how their activities are exposing them to serious threats such as changes in the weather patterns and even risk factors such as flooding, bush fires and drought & famine.
Currently, it is the record that among the G20 countries, Canada leads in the emission of the greenhouse gases (Rabson, 2018). Further, statistics 45% of the emissions come from burning of the fuel and 28% in transportation. This shows the use of coal and fossil fuels are very high in Canada and there is a great need to review energy consumption to reduce greenhouse emissions. In the slide 25 of the week 6, it clear that natural gas, crude oil and coal are the main sources of the energy in the United States and energy consumption, production and exports were highest in 2018 (Sanchez, 2019). It is also interesting to note that the IMF has identified that subsidies fir the fossils fuels are very large in the global space. This means that countries around the world are advocating for the use of fossil fuels which is the direct increase of greenhouse gas emissions.
Reflecting on these reports, I feel that it is necessary for countries to look for alternative sources of the energy such renewable sources which are cleaners and have little impact on the climate change.
f) Addressing hypocrisy in climate change
Hypocrisy in climate change is a serious problem that requires urgent attention. Personally, I have been the victim of hypocrisy in the climate change because sometimes I decide to shift public transport instead of using private means after 3 to 4 days, I find myself back to my car. There notable people in week 6 such Prince Harry and Justin Trudeau who are using the private jets. However, they present themselves as individuals that are caring for the environment by encouraging people to make it a priority to protect the environment but their actions speak otherwise.
However, I feel there are 3 three mechanisms to address hypocrisy in climate change. First, it is good to behave and act as expected which is regarded as an expression of the narrative of the fidelity. (Marshall, PP. 106). Second, I should stand up to confront my hypocrisy (Foer, 2019: PP: 65-66). Therefore, when I notice I am a hypocrite and I do not act as per my statements, I should make a decision and confront myself in readiness to compel myself to change. Third, should apply social altruistic which would require me to have concern for others and also other living things (Marshall: 222). This creates a deeper sense of the responsibility where my action should not cause harm to the environment because I care for the wellbeing of other people.
Conclusion
Climate change is a serious threat to earth planet and concerted effort from employees, managers of companies, politicians, media, citizens and the scholars need to jointly address this phenomenon. I cannot sit down and wait until when I am hit by the risk of climate change but I would stand to be a voice of the climate change, climate hypocrisy in climate change, pursue green capitalism and advocate for a clean and renewable source of energy to address the problem of greenhouse gas emissions in efforts to further environmental communication for change.
References
Cohen, A. (2020). Jeff Bezos Commits $10 Billion To New Bezos Earth Fund. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2020/02/24/jeff-bezos-commits-10-billion-to-new-bezos-earth-fund/#5aeb1ec546f9
Foer, J. S. (2019). We are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast. Penguin UK.
Marshall, G. (2015). Don't even think about it: Why our brains are wired to ignore climate change. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
McMahon, J. (2020). Former UN Climate Chief Calls for Civil Disobedience. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2020/02/24/former-un-climate-chief-calls-for-civil-disobedience/#6c65e9cf3214
Pezzullo & Cox, “Introduction”, “1. Studying/Practicing Environmental Communication”, “2. Contested Meanings of Environment” and “3. Social-Symbolic Constructions of Environment” in Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere, pp. 1-66. [on reserve at library].
Rabson, M. (2018). Canada produces more greenhouse gas emissions than any other G20 country, new report says. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/11/14/canada-produces-most-greenhouse-gas-emissions-than-any-other-g20-country-new-report-says.html
Sanchez, B. (2019). U.S. energy consumption, production, and exports reach record highs in 2018. Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=39392
