Why it Matters How We Frame the Environment

Abstract

According to reports by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N., factory farming has made animal agriculture the No. 1 contributor to global warming (it is significantly more destructive than transportation alone) , and one of the Top 2 or 3 causes of all of the most serious environmental problems: air and water pollution, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, … Eating factory-farmed animals-which is to Draft October 11, 2009 2 say virtually every piece of meat sold in supermarkets and prepared in restaurants-is almost certainly the single worst thing that human do to the environment. Turning to the op-ed section, one comes across an odd couple, John Kerry and Lindsay Graham, Massachusetts liberal and South Carolina conservative, writing 'hopefully' on bipartisan climate change legislation. …we are advocating aggressive reductions in our emissions of carbon gases … without hindering global competitiveness or driving more jobs overseas … we must also take advantage of nuclear power, our single largest contributor of emissionsfree power … jettison cumbersome regulations that have stalled the construction of nuclear plants … encourage serious investment in research to find solutions to our nuclear waste problem … for the foreseeable future we will continue to burn fossil fuels … The United States should aim to become the Saudi Arabia of clean coal … we are committed to seeking compromise on additional onshore and offshore gas exploration … Failure to act comes with another cost … the administration will use the Environmental Protection Agency to impose new regulations .. likely to be tougher .. Industry needs the certainty that comes with Congressional action … we will pass on to future generations a strong economy, a clean environment, and an energy-independent nation. And looking back to the past, we find these quotes from a 2003 language advisory by Frank Luntz to the Bush administration, called Winning the Global Warming Debate: An Overview : It's time for us to start talking about "climate change" instead of global warming …

Nets and frames, losses and gains: Value struggles in engagements with biodiversity offsetting policy in England

“…Following Lakoff (2010), it seems clear that those seeking to oppose BDO will be assisted by focusing clearly on communicating their underlying values on such matters. Notwithstanding the need to respond to government consultations when these arise, there are limits to what can be achieved by arguing within terms of reference set by enthusiasts for market-based approaches to biodiversity conservation.…”

Hunting the Beast on YouTube

“…(It is quite likely that most of the events that take place in the YouTube videos were not arranged for the recording but would have occurred in a similar way even if the camera were not there.) However, in addition to the fact that the videos are edited and soundtracks often have been added, framing is not something optional in communication; reality is always mediated through epistemology (Lakoff 2010). Thus, YouTube videos, like all forms of digital communication, are 'more than merely a reflection of unmediated experience with nature' (Champ et al 2013: 136, italics in original).…”

Mechanisms for Inclusive Governance

“…In achieving sustained systemic governance, these are important practical considerations, not unimportant theoretical musings! As we noted at the beginning when citing Lakoff ( 2010 ), all metaphors bring forth an associated system. In other words, language precedes system; in fact the choice to see a freshwater river as a system is a framing choice -the system does not precede the choices that different actors make.…”