Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere

Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere is the first comprehensive undergraduate textbook in the growing field of environmental communication. It takes as its theme the role of communication in influencing the ways in which we perceive the environment as well as what actions we and others take in our relations to the natural world. The text blends scholarship and hands-on experiences to provide a theory-based and coherent description of the concrete communication practices and sites in the debates over environment protection. The level of presentation targets upper-level, undergraduate students in speech communication, environmental studies, English, journalism, political science, and sociology. Additional theory and vocabulary are introduced, as are case studies and examples for closer examination of the principal sites and practices of environmental communication - including forums for public participation, advocacy campaigns, media coverage of environmental stories, risk communication, and models of dispute settlement. Key Features: - Provides a core text (broad and theoretically coherent coverage) that covers all of the basic areas of environmental communication - Draws on the author's experiences as president of the largest U.S. environmental group - Summarizes current scholarship in the area and makes accessible many of the practices of media, corporations, and advocacy groups that are not readily available in public sources - Gives students insight into the practical ways to participate publicly in influencing the decisions of governmental agencies that affect the environment - Offers a comprehensible treatment of the complexity and range of issues, sites, and practices in environmental communication "Act Locally" exercises provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge of the principles of environmental communication on their campus or community