How environmental NGOs use the media to shape global environmental issues Even though there have been greatly public concerns about environmental issues since 1960s, practical action as the solution seems to be useless due to the limitation of state and pressure from the corporation. Moreover, the function of international organizations has also faced with difficulties in terms of enforcement and regulation; therefore, there has been wide gap between actors responding to the environmental issues. Environmental NGOs have adequately fulfilled this gap - owned multiple instruments to reach their goals, for example, conducting the environmental-concerned researches, lobbying in both domestic government and global governance and also TNCs, and more importantly raising public awareness and collective action from below (McCormick 2005: 92). Environmental NGOs, ‘agent of change’ works in all both levels; political sphere and civil society (Ford 2011:27). At political level, environmental NGOs act as a pressure group and lobbyist to government and TNCs. Another level is civil society in which environmental NGOs acts in domestic levels - within the nation boundaries, and also in global level, consequently there is part of possibility of global civil society in which people are not limited by nation boundary, but can share common value and perform collective action as a global citizen (McCormick 2005: 93). In doing so, environmental NGOs always politicize the issues by shaping global
The struggle between capitalism, national sovereignity, human rights, and environmental protectionism is a constant struggle. International Nongovernment Organzations (INGO) serve an important role in watching the process unfold. Unfortunately, the history of the world is filled with conflict and no one person or group has the answer as to the outcome.
Generally, Greenpeace International believes that the environment can be protected by changing the way people understand the world. “ It aims to influence public understanding of the negative environmental impact of much human behaviour. Expectedly, people will undertake actions that are more respectful to the ecological integrity of the planet” (Siti Rokhmawati Susanto, 2007: 186-205).
She emphasizes writings that surround social movements and the media, which are then studied within the conceptual/theoretical framework of political economy. Richardson goes on to analyze texts on Greenpeace and other NGO’s, particularly on what media tactics they use to push their ideas and gain recognition in the mainstream. In order to further explore her research questions, she conducted a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of media coverage on the Great Bear Rainforest from both the Globe and Mail and the Vancouver Sun from January 1, 1995 – January 1, 2007. In her analysis, she examined fifty-seven articles in order to study the way those protesting the logging of the Great Bear Rainforest were regarded in the media and if there was any common themes or developments in the ways the media reported on them. Through analyzing the news articles using the CDA methodology, the author can easily make connections within the political economy framework. CDA, a popular method used by researchers, can help to reveal the structures of domination in social relationships. Richardson looks at what can be learned from the achievements and shortcomings of the environmental movement and the ways in which they used the media to gain the support of the
Today’s media and communication have enhanced the knowledge of petitions, government affairs, and the environment. Although mass communication and formal protests are powerful and sometimes must suffer the darker side of the situation, they are labeled as interest groups. There are important factors such as money, power, and connections that are questioned and accessed within these groups. PACS or Political Action Committees are involved. Yet, there is another form of PACs that are named “Super PACS” where unlimited funds are raised (We the People). The “Super Pac” strategy should be outlawed by the government so it will not abuse its devoted followers.
For example, take the work done by various human rights pressure groups. Whilst there are many groups working to campaign and tackle the breadth of human rights abuse around the world, the first group that comes to mind for many is Amnesty International. The use of “mass media of communication to influence public attitudes” (Turner, 1958, p68) has allowed Amnesty International to gain a prestige over other human rights pressure groups, meaning that the equally vital work done by fellow groups such as Liberty may not be able to be represented as well to various global governments. This prestige enjoyed by some groups makes prestigious and powerful pressure groups incompatible with representative democracy because some
Ecological activists while advocating for the protection of forests should be supported and their activities should be given aid by environmental authorities. Ethics in every work place is fundamental; the activists therefore also are expected to take action provided it meets the ethical requirements.
Greenpeace one of the current environmental interest groups is being investigated by BJP “for links to foreign funding sources and freezing their assets.” Additionally, there since India has a very industrial dominate economy comes the challenges of business lobby groups that support the government in trying to undermine the environmentalist to make sure that the economy does not wane do to the change in energy usage. One can see from these examples that interest groups have a lot of power and influence in the India government and can play a crucial role in effecting the environmental movement.
In their introduction to the chapter "Why International Organisations Matter," which was contributed to Business and the Politics of Globalisation: After the Global Financial Crisis, authors Xu Yi-chong and Patrick Weller begin the rhetorical defense of international organisations (IOs) by providing a review of recent global crises, and describing the various roles that global groups like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) played in addressing these most complex of dilemmas. The work performed by both the IMF and the World Bank in mitigating the disastrous effects of the global financial crisis is presented as a prime example of the efficacy of international organisations, as is the authoritative Report issued by the IPCC in response to mounting evidence in support of climate change as a demonstrable scientific phenomenon. As Yi-chong and Weller state unequivocally, "globalisation could not have taken place without the desire of states to pursue cooperation; neither could it have happened without IOs acting as effective facilitators of that cooperation" (2010), because communication on the international scale often requires an objective third-party for purposes of negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution.
Abstractly, Global corporations have a key role to play in issues ranging from human rights to environmental policies. Specifically, corporations can be most effective in helping the poor by investing in local and global communities on a long-term basis rather than by acting as charities or aid agencies. However, to do so, corporations must restore the public 's trust. They must demonstrate that their presence, particularly in poorer countries and the emerging market economies, is a source of human progress. They must demonstrate that globalisation is not a zero-sum game in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. In this regard, those who argue against globalisation are denying 1.5 billion people, who live in absolute poverty, the means of escape. To do nothing is morally unacceptable. The world is watching the corporate sector. This is a moment of great challenge, but also of great opportunity because if corporations can demonstrate that they are agents of progress, they can remove the doubts and renew the trust that is essential for both prosperity and security.
When I was five years old I began school. In Kindergarden we learned basic things like letters, numbers, and how not to be fully engulfed in flames. For some reason, 2004 was the height of anti-fire education in Missouri and before I knew how to tie my shoes I knew that if I ever was ablaze, to cover my face, fall to my knees, and roll back and fourth. This is what my institution placed serious value upon and because I was a student of that institution I also placed serious value upon it. The same idea must be applied to a university's teaching of environmental sustainability. This is discussed in David Orr's "What is Education For?" Through choosing a curriculum a university chooses what it places value onto, by making the environment a priority it showcases to the future generations that environmental wellness is an important responsibility for them to take ownership.
Although global actors can sometimes have considerable power over states, the extent of this power ultimately depends on the relative power and influence of the state in question. Large developed states, such as the US, are extremely powerful compared to most other global actors and are not often influenced by their actions. However, small and undeveloped states are not always completely powerless. To determine whether states are indeed the most powerful global actors, we must look at the relative powers of trans-national corporations (TNCs), non-government organisations (NGOs) and some of the institutions of global governance.
The Earth Charter began in the late 80s, when a group known as “the Brundtland Commission launched what was called Our Common Future Report to guide the transition to sustainable development” (“History”, 2009). In the early 90s, two gentle men by the name of Maurice Strong and Mikhail Gorbachev along with the assistance of the “Dutch Government developed an Earth Charter as a civil society initiative by working through the organizations founded by themselves…” to later draw on hundreds of international documents (“History”, 2009). Before the Earth Charter became a
Environment now become a global issue. For that reason, non-state actors such as: NGOs and activists participate to solve this problem. However, their participations are almost affecting population’s idea or cooperating with firms and even lobbying policies (O’Neil, 2009). These actions can be considered as effort of non-state actors, but not directly protect environment. Therefore, non-state actors alone is not enough to deal with environmental problems that require a dependence of them on state actors. This essay will present, analyze the functions of non-state actors and will illustrate the relation between them and states.
Business people today are more aware about the social and the environment impact of their business than in the past. They start taking into account activities in helping others and preserving the environment as a main part of their business model. Business is no longer solely aim for profit as they have much larger purpose than that. However, to achieve that purpose, the business people need the Government and NGOs to create strong synergy in achieving the desirable outcome.
Environmental issues have been a cause of a lot of debate in the recent past. Governments and nongovernmental organizations have been in constant consultations on how to help protect the environment. Apparently, as a result of man’s many actions, the natural environment is getting torn apart so quickly that the coming generations will not enjoy this kind of environment, unless a