Nature is Sexy... Maybe? (On Visual Rhetoric)

Artwork is an example of visual rhetoric, and Jonathon Earl Bowser (a painter of goddesses), displays this with his pieces. Cox details the power of rhetoric, tropes (figures of speech to direct the meaning of something onto a new path for persuasive reasons), and metaphor. These tie in with visual rhetoric -- the capability of visual images and representations to affect public attitudes about the environment.

Bowser’s striking artwork showcases the link between women and nature. Often, these deities are facets of nature; for instance, Song of Deep Water (above) portrays a brunette whose trailing grown literally is water, as she forms magnificent waves with her hands. Other times, his goddesses are creators (see below).

Cloak of the Maternal Sky, illustrating a goddess pregnant with the universe.

What emotions arise when you look at such artwork? For me, I see metaphor in its purest form (these women could call be called Mother Earth). They are maidens or mothers, representing youthfulness and fertility. Never once does Bowser feature a crone, an old hag. (For those familiar with Wicca and other pagan denominations, you can see the force in this!)

What does this mean? Basically, women have long been symbolically associated with nature do to their creative properties, as is evident in the Paleolithic Age. But skipping out on the elder years is important to note. It expresses that nature is beautiful, like a woman in her late adolescence through her prime, and boiling with creative energy. This force weakens with age, becoming dull and vapid… much like a deforested area, a polluted water source, or a mountaintop removed for coal. These are harsh realities we choose to ignore, but they are there and must be acknowledged. And thus, our fantasy of nature as radiant and perfect, much like goddesses, is a mask over an “ugly” thing, like someone in their late years.

This is the ability of visual rhetoric. It shapes our perceptions and opinions on the environment.

What are other examples of visual rhetoric and metaphors you can think of? How has this phenomenon impacted you?

(NOTE TO JOHN: The above two images have been uploaded to ImageShack to prevent hot-linking, AKA bandwidth theft, which I've heard is illegal. Please regard that I am not intending to "rip off" Bowser's art.)

Working Toward a Clean Future

Local actions are the best and easiest way to improve the environment on a global scale. As a previous student of an agricultural program in high school, I learned that the best way to learn how to do something is by doing it. Whether it was learning how to grow food or simply to respect the environment, our classes were mainly hands-on and caused an overall impact on my life. I learned that making a small difference in one’s life or community really makes a big difference in the long-run.
Teaching someone the importance of taking care of the earth using words can create an impact on anyone, but I think using real experiences, visuals, or examples that people can relate to have much more of an influence on people. For example, videos like Planet Earth give people a real sense of what nature is. Websites like 350.org help spread the word. Picture of a possible dystopia or utopia gives people an image to work with. Pictures make the idea seem more like a reality. They give people a pragmatic sense of wanting to do something, or perhaps needing to do something to change the world, even if it’s just one step at a time.
Everyone has a view of a perfect world, whether it’s a Utopia or Dystopia. For animal conservationists, maybe that means an abundance of animals. For hunters, perhaps that means an abundance of game. My point is that though we all, as environmentalists, seem to be striving toward the same goal, our reasons and therefore future purposes, are sometimes vastly different. This is why the only way of getting people to change their views or actions to a more sustainable, more “green” way is by uniting people to the same purpose. We can’t just tell people that we are destroying the earth or possibly causing global temperature changes. We have to show people that we are creating destruction. We have to show people that our actions can and do affect our lives, our health. These are not just global issues, but local too. It is the local part that I think we, as environmentalists need to stress to everyone.

Should we Conserve?

I strongly believe that wildlife conservation sanctuarys are necessary, but how can the human population and wildlfe live together without interfering with the other? I don't think we can, I think we have to understand that we as humans need to give up some of our modern necessities to let wildlife strive for the future generations.

In New york city there is a river called the Bronx River that used to be full of oysters and other estuary animals. In the 1900's big compaines begain buildling factories and poluting the river. Now The river is being cleaned and communities around the river is being educated about the estuary and why it is important to keep the river mantained and livable for the animals. Factories have now started cooperating with the non-profits organizations that clean the river.

We need to conserve parts of nature in every state. Can you imagine a state with no nature? That was what I saw till high school. I lived right next to a river and never realized that nature was right outside of my window. But to have nature I beleive we need to conserve it before we can preserve it. We need to fix what we have before we can leave it alone, for our future.

Global Warming

In one of my classes we were talking about problems that already exist in the environment and potential problem that could occur in the environment. We talked about whether or not environmental problems exist before they are named as a problem. I feel that they are. Something might not be a real problem yet but if it is looked at in the sense that it could be a problem in the long run we might be able to prevent a lot of things that could have a negative impact on our environment, such as global warming. Knowing a head of time the things that "we" are doing to our environment might have a negative impact in the future, we might be able to change our "ways" and save the environment from something that could be a potential risk to our health or our way of living. We should be more sensitive to how we treat our environment, because who knows, it might just backfire back at us.

History of Environmental Movement Timelines

Part of this week's class focus includes addressing the four "antagonisms" that Robert Cox mentions in Chapter 2 of Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere.

I was preparing for class and thinking about how to help us think through the history of environmentalism in America, so I did what any good teacher would do.  I Googled it.  I didn't find anything that I love.

Here are a couple of different versions of environmental movement timelines.  Of these, the Wildglobe one seems to be the best combination of thorough and presentable.  The Environmental History Timeline, from a professor at Radford, is the most interactive and gives a nice overview (but isn't particularly sharp or detailed).

A really fine Environmental Communication Project might be for someone with some technical skills to take on the production of a more presentable and useful environmental timeline.  Maybe that person is you...

movie clip on clean coal

Today I was checking my email and stumbled across this clean coal article and thought it was interesting and watched the movie clip.  When I was watching the movie clip I came across a part where they had a hand stick an electrical cord into a piece of coal. I thought it was pretty “catchy” because it showed the connection between coal and electricity. I learned an interesting fact from the clip, which was fifty percent of the electricity for homes and buildings come from coal.

Since coal is the most abundant fuel source that we have in America right now, watching the video, “clean coal” made me learn things, however I doubt that I’m going to change anything about how I use my electricity. I do however agree that certain measures should be taken when trying to eliminate pollution. And I also feel that these advertisings are esstintal to informing America and maybe someday change the world.

Clean coal

I will start this post saying that I am not against clean coal but just belive it is not a permanent solution. I believe clean coal can make the transition to other energy methods smoother. Most clean coal methods do not solve the environmental problems associated with burning coal but give us more time to deal with the problems that they cause. I am not a fan clean coal because all that i have seen and heard about clean coal (even some things promoting clean coal) seem like they are just sweeping the problem under a rug, so to speak. These are the reasons i believe clean coal should be an energy source for just long enough for us to find alternative energy sources.

America's Favorite Fuel

After watching a video about "clean coal" I had a renewed sense of opinion. I was always told that coal, no matter how efficient it is, is a horrible source of energy. But this video opened my eyes for a new perspective. For instance, I never knew that coal was the most abundant source of fuel in America. People have a tendency of leaving out those positive little facts about things they so badly wish to demean. Being told strictly what was so bad about coal never left an opinion open for the good aspects of it until now.
Yes, coal is slightly environmentally unclean but it provides roughly half of our electricity! The very electricity that keeps us warm in the winters and cool in the scorching summer's heat. Are we really so quick to dismiss a product that keeps many of us comfortable in such a stressful world? I'm not saying that coal is the best choice of energy but it's readily available for use now while other experiments are ongoing to test for more positive solutions to a cleaner world. Once an effective alternative source of energy is found I'll gladly change my vote in favor of a cleaner fuel!

"A Different Perspective"

In between classes the other day I was on You Tube looking at videos when I found this video advertising for “clean coal.” This video first caught my attention when they explained how 50% of America’s electricity comes from coal! I had no idea coal was used that much, let alone for half of our electricity. This video put a very positive environmental spin on coal usage in the U.S. By pointing out all the advantages of using coal like how it is almost a third of the cost and a very abundant fuel source. This left me with a new feeling of coal being a very good source of fuel, where as before I looked at coal as being a very negative source of fuel. In addition, this video’s environmental objective got me to doubt my original opinion of coal. It showed a scene of a father saying good night to his daughter and turning off the lights. It was very easy to relate to and gave me a sense of how coal could be safe and how it is a source of security for the
“American family.”Their advertisement was well thought through and quite effective. Coal might have some negative impacts on our environment but new technology is making coal even cleaner. According to American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, “America’s coal-based generating fleet is 70% cleaner (based upon regulated emissions per unit of energy produced) thanks, in part, to $50 billion invested in new technologies.” They also explained how America has more than 200 years of available coal reserves. In conclusion, I believe coal is a good source of fuel for right now, but this definitely does not mean we shouldn’t look into alternative fuels for the future.

How do you feel about clean coal?

So I watched this video about how powerful natural resources can be. A natural resource like coal can transform into tons of energy enough to power whole cities. It's amazing on how we can take something from the earth itself and use it to such extraordinary heights. This relationship between coal given by earth and humans is a perfect example of environmental communication. Like Robert Cox says in his book, Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere, "environmental communication is our relationship with the natural world."

America has a huge problem with coal being such a powerful source of energy, because without it, it would lead to a tremendous upset worldwide. In America, coal powers electricity industries worldwide. These industries then create more than half the electricity consumed by Americans in the United States. With coal being this big of a power source is just like attaching an electric cord to a piece of coal. This is what struck me about this video, without coal, America is down more than half of their electricity. So basically, America will be screwed without coal because of its major importance. Knowing this, the videos environmental communication is pragmatic. Its purpose is to alert you of this problem in the making. They know how much America needs coal and how much power it produces for America. But the idea of clean coal is a joke because no matter what, they are going to keep doing what they are doing. No matter what coal is not going to become clean because you want it to. It will still be coal.


www.energy.gov/energysources/coal.htm

Does the idea of "Clean Coal" strike you?

Robert Cox, the author of Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere, believes that "environmental communication is a study of the ways in which we communicate about the environment, the effects of this communication on our perceptions of both the environment and ourselves, and therefore on our relationship with the natural world." Like Cox, I agree that communication about the environment matters. As quoted by Cox, " Its matters in the way we interact with our friends, at work, and in naming certain conditions in our environment as "problems." "And it matters ultimately in the choices we make in response to these problems."

Coal is used to create almost half of all electricity generated in the United States. Almost 93% of the coal used in the United States is used for generating electricity. This electricity that's used powers America's industries, the millions of homes , and it even powers trivial things such as a electric toothbrush. Without coal America would be in serious turmoil.

Environmental communication is being used to inform and educate the public sphere about the serious issue of what to do when our main source of energy runs out. This environmental communication is distributed throughout America in the form of commercials, magazines, newspaper articles, YouTube clips, etc.

Every year "clean coal" is brought up as the major contributing factor to "GLOBAL WARMING," and every year millions of dollars are spent on advertising for the "clean coal" campaign. What I want to raise to you is that instead of spending millions on advertising why don't we spend it on research and technology to finding a better way to fuel America. "Clean" coal doesn't exist, no matter how control the emissions of coal are we are still polluting and still contributing to the build up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

In conclusion, America should stop wasting time and money on a cause that in the end will still have the same negative effect. We as Americans need to realize defeat. With the issue concerning coal we have been defeated. Instead putting all our efforts into a battle that is already lost, we should put them towards finding a "clean" reusable source of energy to power America.

www.washingtonpost.com

When the NRA Calls...

...you pick up the phone!

The call waiting on my home phone yesterday showed "National Rifle Association."  Anna was a little surprised when I picked up and said "hello."  The very pleasant female voice on the other end, after establishing that I was the man of the house, or close enough, asked whether I would be willing to listen to a message from the NRA Executive Vice President, Wayne Lapierre, then take a "one-word survey."  I agreed that I would.

I was fully expecting rhetoric.  I would expect it of left-leaning political groups and I expected it of this right-leaning one.  But even so prepared, the recorded message that the nice woman from the NRA played for me was surprising, because it was a characature of the kind of messaging that we're going to be analyzing and playing with in this course. 

I think the basic logic of the message was this: "The United Nations is considering a series of actions that will likely lead to enhanced gun control in this country, therefore don't let Hilary Clinton and the third-world dictators decide your gun rights."  But I could be wrong.

I'm not entirely clear on the logic because of two things.  ONE: the 3-minute long message was so full of emotionally-charged word choices that I got happily distracted just listening to the flow of language ("scheme," "liberal," "plot...")  And TWO: the conclusion to the "argument" seemed to equate the U.N. with Hilary Clinton.  Hilary Clinton + 3rd World Dictators = UN.  Seriously.  I was distracted because "she who must not be named" had not been named up until that point.  There was no mention of HC before the conclusion.

As for the "one-word survey?"  The one question was this (no kidding): "Do you want to let Hilary Clinton and third-world dictators decide your gun rights?"  Of course I said, "yes."

You know the phrase "when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail?"  Well maybe I'm guilty of that, but the recorded message that the nice lady played for me looked an awful lot like an example of the kind of rhetoric we're studying in Environmental Communication.

Now, I'd like to find a comparable left-leaning message on which to analyze and report.  Any help?

Voices of the Public Sphere

As a second year student at Unity College, I would not currently consider myself someone "authoritative" or "persuasive" about environmental views and perspectives. I could be considered "shy" with my environmental voice because I do not think I am ready to speak out quite yet. Unity College has been preparing and molding me into a great environmental steward, but as only a sophomore, I do not think I am ready to become any type of activist. I have become involved in small community activities, such recycling, writing about personal important environmental issues pertaining to my major, and trying to keep myself and my apartment as green as possible, but these are only small things that I do. They have not reached a public level, and they do not need to as of now.
Though this is true, I do not see myself as continuing to be a solitary, low opinion environmentalist for the rest of my life. As I keep learning, I see myself becoming a better scientist and fisheries biologist. My interest and knowledge in my field keeps growing, and I know that when I have my degree from Unity College, my voice and opinions about important environmental issues and concerns in my field can become prominent and much much stronger. I will move from being just a citizen in a community who only recycles and writes papers about my environmental concerns to being a scientist and maybe a journalist who is not afraid to speak about something that I believe in about the environment because I know that I will have the educational background to do so.

Principles of Environmental Justice

In chapter two of the book we are reading for class, Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere, the Principles of Environmental Justice are mentioned (pg 55). Only one of the principles were mentioned, and I was curious as to what the other ones were. The webpage is provided in the book, so I decided to post them here for anybody else who is curious.

1) Environmental Justice affirms the sacredness of Mother Earth, ecological unity and the interdependence of all species, and the right to be free from ecological destruction.

2) Environmental Justice demands that public policy be based on mutual respect and justice for all peoples, free from any form of discrimination or bias.

3) Environmental Justice mandates the right to ethical, balanced and responsible uses of land and renewable resources in the interest of a sustainable planet for humans and other living things.

4) Environmental Justice calls for universal protection from nuclear testing, extraction, production and disposal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons and nuclear testing that threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water, and food.

5) Environmental Justice affirms the fundamental right to political, economic, cultural and environmental self-determination of all peoples.

6) Environmental Justice demands the cessation of the production of all toxins, hazardous wastes, and radioactive materials, and that all past and current producers be held strictly accountable to the people for detoxification and the containment at the point of production.

7) Environmental Justice demands the right to participate as equal partners at every level of decision-making, including needs assessment, planning, implementation, enforcement and evaluation.

8) Environmental Justice affirms the right of all workers to a safe and healthy work environment without being forced to choose between an unsafe livelihood and unemployment. It also affirms the right of those who work at home to be free from environmental hazards.

9) Environmental Justice protects the right of victims of environmental injustice to receive full compensation and reparations for damages as well as quality health care.

10) Environmental Justice considers governmental acts of environmental injustice a violation of international law, the Universal Declaration On Human Rights, and the United Nations Convention on Genocide.

11) Environmental Justice must recognize a special legal and natural relationship of Native Peoples to the U.S. government through treaties, agreements, compacts, and covenants affirming sovereignty and self-determination.

12) Environmental Justice affirms the need for urban and rural ecological policies to clean up and rebuild our cities and rural areas in balance with nature, honoring the cultural integrity of all our communities, and provided fair access for all to the full range of resources.

13) Environmental Justice calls for the strict enforcement of principles of informed consent, and a halt to the testing of experimental reproductive and medical procedures and vaccinations on people of color.

14) Environmental Justice opposes the destructive operations of multi-national corporations.

15) Environmental Justice opposes military occupation, repression and exploitation of lands, peoples and cultures, and other life forms.

16) Environmental Justice calls for the education of present and future generations which emphasizes social and environmental issues, based on our experience and an appreciation of our diverse cultural perspectives.

17) Environmental Justice requires that we, as individuals, make personal and consumer choices to consume as little of Mother Earth's resources and to produce as little waste as possible; and make the conscious decision to challenge and reprioritize our lifestyles to insure the health of the natural world for present and future generations.

http://www.ejnet.org/ej/principles.html