chapter-iii print media and environment these...
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CHAPTER-III
PRINT MEDIA AND ENVIRONMENT
3.1 Environmental Issues and media's response
These days Climate Change issues are the getting the highest priority and
making the headlines in print and electronic media. Governments and the people
depend on Communication and Mass Media not only for disseminating
information, but also in setting agenda for the development and other allied
activities. Thus, communication media become powerful tool for disseminating
information and diffusion of innovations. Due to depletion of natural resources
and burning of fossil fuels there is a great threat to environment. It is high time to
save the depleting natural resources and discourage the irrational usage of natural
resources by focusing on Sustainable Development.
Media has the power of focusing the factors that cause environmental
problems as well as adverse impact on people. The environmental problems, which
threaten the present day existence as well as the future of humanity, are brought to
peoples notice by the media. Some of these 3 issues are really quiet alarming and
need to be focused upon, so that people can be made aware of their intensity. Straight
reports, discussions, photo features and articles by experts help in informing the
people about different aspects of climate change issue. The layman may not be able
to assess the impact of many of the environmental problems persisting around them.
The effect of the depletion of ozone layer and its long term effect on global warming,
poses threat of melting ice caps in the polar region. The inducing rise in sea level and
extinction of all species of living beings on earth cannot be comprehended in full
measure by everybody. If media attempts to educate the masses on such vital issues,
at least, the intelligent and right-thinking people will become aware about the need to
take the precautionary measures and they get sensitized towards the natural resource
conservation and protection.
Media acts as a catalyst in enlightening the masses on issues related to
climate change. A few issues, on which global media reporting widely are global
warming, green peace movement, depletion of ozone layer, climate change, green
house gases effect, acid rain etc. It was seen that most of these problems are
caused by the random destruction of nature and its resources, created by the
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irresponsible lifestyle of human beings. A section of the media has drawn our
attention on several environmental issues like Ganga River Action Plan, Chipko
Movement, Narmada Bachavo Andolan and Appiko Movement at national level
and all the waves of these movements were kept alive mainly by the coverage in
various media. Of course, there are quite a good number of regional issues at the
regional level covered by vernacular media.
These days varieties of environmental issues are getting priority with
special reference to the global warming and climate change problems. In Africa
"Climate change" remains a new terminology to most journalists and media
professionals. This new terminology reflects the real situation in most media
houses in Sub-Saharan Africa where governments lack resources and proper
mechanisms to engage journalists in campaigning on impacts of climate change
in respective countries. South Africa was found • to be the exception where
considerable reporting has been done on the impacts of climate change. Specially,
Print media, which is still dominant and most influential compared to electronic
media (internet, radio, television, blogs, etc.). In Africa, has so far played a
leading role in educating and informing the public on effects of environmental
deterioration and related human impacts. There have been a remarkable number
of articles and media releases on the impacts of climate change despite all the
hurdles were faced by the journalists. In Tanzania, there have been a number of
articles on climate-change impacts, but most of them are not on a regular basis as
compared with sports and political news. In 1998 effects of El Nino reflected the
most coverage in Tanzanian and East African newspapers. A number of articles
were published in several newspapers including the Daily Nation (Kenya), The
Standard (Kenya), Daily News (Tanzania), The Guardian (Tanzania), The East
African (East Africa) and the popular Kiswahili newspapers, all reflecting the
negative effects of the rains in most parts of the East African region. The
journalists did not relate the El Nino rains with climate change, but took the rains
as part of common weather variations. People in East Africa did not have any
idea that could warn them and the public that "EI Nino rains were the effects of
climate change. In the year of 1999, most of the network news stories on global
warming carried a current event-oriented news peg such as: the warm weather of
winter 1998 (CBS June 2, 1999); the effect on insects and natural disasters (CBS
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June 24, 1999); higher temperatures and more extreme weather (NBC and CBS
June 29, 1999); and melting ice (ABC December 3, 1999). Network television
news stories generally appeared to accept the existence of global warming as an
every day phenomenon that can be measured in terms of current weather
conditions. On July 31, 1999, however, CNN environmental reporter Natalie
Pawelski reminded her viewers that there were scientists on both sides of the heat
wave question by including Jim St. John of Georgia Tech, who "says heat waves
alone are not evidence of global warming" (Vanderbilt University).
In 1989 July 8, CBS mentioned global warming in an economic summit
story, and ABC on August 24, 1989 carried comments on global warming by
actor Robert Redford. The CBS News for September 19, 1989 as part of its
Hurricane Hugo coverage carried a story by reporter David Dow that scientists
were predicting that the greenhouse effect would play a role in creating stronger
and more dangerous hurricanes in the future. Meteorologist Keny Emanuel
presented the theory. Scientist Michael McElroy said action was needed to curtail
global warming. Robert Livezey of the National Meteorological Center disagreed
with the theory. Global warming is a chronic environmental issue. It is a long-
term problem that was about the same last year as it is this year. It measures
temperature changes across decades. It is a stretch for scientists to say that the
greenhouse effect is responsible for higher temperatures in a given year or even
decade and it is an even bigger stretch to propose a theory linking global
warming to the intensity of hurricanes. Journalists are always looking for good
news pegs. In the 1970s and through most of the 1980s, global warming and
greenhouse effect stories were usually chronic environmental science features or
government, political, or congressional hearing stories. But scientific discussions
and government meetings on global warming are neither visual nor dramatic
news pegs. In the 1980s some scientists seemed to be linking the greenhouse
effect to current high temperatures. If this were true - and even if it wasn't - it
gave some reporters a reason to link global warming to the acute, front-page issue
of heat waves. Coverage of global warming increased enormously in the 1990s.
The three television networks carried around one hundred news stories about
global warming from 1990 through 1999 judging by a count of global warming
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abstracts from the Vanderbilt News Archive. This compared to a handful of
related stories in the 1970s and about twenty stories in the 1980s, using the same
measure. Global warming was an international political story in the 1990s with
the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil in 1992 (featuring the
signing of the UN global warming treaty) and the Kyoto, Japan global warming
conference in 1997. The NBC Evening News of March 29, 1990 carried a 30-
second report that NASA scientists said, "that there has been no long-term global
warming" (Vanderbilt University), but such doubts were not the norm on the
nightly news.
3.2 Print media and environmental issues
Among the other mass media Print media facilitates gigantic opportunity
to the users and also is used to broadcast all the required information. More over
the exclusive charm or practicality of print materials is that the facility of going
back to it, refer to it, read , review and study the all material at your own pace and
convenient time. Referring to different print media specially the environmental
magazines, journals, reports and news stories attempts to focus on the factors that
cause environmental problems as well as the negative effect on people .Print
media also in time to time highlights the environmental problems that threaten
the present day existence as well as the future of humanity and brought to every
bodies notice. Most of these issues are honestly quiet alarming and need to be
focus upon so that people can be made aware of their significance. When any
kind of simple hearing doesn't works straight reports, discussions, photo features
and articles by experts helps in informing the people about different aspects of
each issue and its intensity and works as the trustworthy resources. Print media
can undoubtedly update, educate, warn, inform, and even empower people to take
practical steps to protect themselves from disasters. Not only to reaching
communities that may be beyond the reach of mass media, some other media
types like pamphlets, posters, and books appeal more directly to children and
provide a more interactive and entertaining educational mechanism. Indeed, they
may have an immense and ever lasting impact on the minds of the people.
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For about 600 years printing lias been the basic tool of mass communication,
storing and dissemination of information and knowledge. To mention here that
from about the second half of the last century electronic media has somewhat
taken oyer the mass media world by a storm but the print media has not lost its
sheen and its social relevance.
The modern printing in India originated in Goa in 1550 by Spanish Coadjutor,
Brother John de Bustamante, also known as Indian Gutenburg.The first language
printing press with vernacular types was established in 1557 at Vaipicotta.On
January 29, 1780 the first Indian newspaper, the Bengal Gazette, two pages,
twelve inches by eight, popularly known as the Hicky's Gazette was published.
During the later half of the 19th century Anglo- Indian press established firm
foundation in India. In 1861 there were 11 Urdu newspapers and 8 Hindi
newspapers. By 1870 the press in Indian languages was growing rapidly (Future
of India). There were about sixty-two Indian languages newspapers in Bombay,
about sixty in North-West Provinces, Oudh and the Central Provinces, some
twenty-eight in Bengal, about nineteen in Madras (Tamil, Telgu, Malyalam and
Hindustani). There were about 100,000 readers and the highest circulation of any
one newspaper was about 3000. Today the number of newspapers has grown to
99 million copies daily. Indian newspaper sales increased 11.2 percent in 2007
and 35.51 percent in the five year period. Newspaper advertising revenues in
India were up 64.8 percent over the last five years (WAN Report: World Press
Trends 2008)
Although it is found that newspapers are facing hard times, but circulation
world wide increased by 2.57 percent in 2007, taking global daily sales to a new
high of over 532 million copies. The global paid - for circulation world wide
increased 2.57 percent year on year and 9.39 percent over the last five years.
Timothy Balding, chief executive officer of WAN (World Association of
Newspaper), said, " Newspaper circulation has been rising or stable in three
quarters of the World's countries over the past five years and in nearly 80 percent
of countries in the past year." With literacy level rising to approx 551 million
people in India, more people - rural and urban - are reading newspapers and
magazines. The reach of print media has increased to an estimated 316 million
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readers. Print media has also attracted tlie global investors with maximum foreign
investment in this segment.
Today in India almost all newspapers are completely accessible through
the Internet and provide up to-date news and information, key changes that can
be expected are in the field of technology used in the printing and the number of
units per each organization. Newspapers are by no means outdated. The
traditional benefits to the reader are palpable, but today's customers expect more.
Newspaper organizations now-a-days recognize themselves as a commercial
enterprise and the newspaper as a commodity, rather an institution to serve the
society
Number of Indian newspapers has remarkably multiplied several folds
since independence and today Indian newspapers are brought out in 93 languages
and dialects. In Debasis's study 2004 it was found that 57% of the interviewed
persons stated to read the newspaper for 30 to 60 minutes per day. It was found
that with an average of about 50 minutes the daily amount of time spent on
reading the newspaper, "the backbone of news" in India, is considerably high. It
was found that illiteracy in India is around 51%. In addition to that, 93% of the
several million copies are sold in the large towns with population over 100.000
which accounts only for 10 percent of the population. Therefore it's been of
much concern that how many articles and news are covered by these newspapers.
The Times of India has forsaken its weekly column after which no paper was
seen to give environmental importance or none of India's daily newspapers has a
regular space reserved for environmental news so that these are only addressed as
government, ministry and legal news as well as in contexts of science or health.
These issues which are to be focused mainly on local and national issues like air,
water and noise pollution as well as deforestation. In contrast to that global
environmental problems are only mentioned very rarely, e.g. if they are the topic
of international conferences. In fact the journalists when used to write anything
on environment is neither an educational or motivational approach nor offering
scientific explanation or background information (exceptions are environmental
issues that are on the top of the political agenda, e.g. CNG (compressed natural
gas)), but it is to inform their readers on the latest trends in political news related
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to environment. Providentially some regional dailies have slight tendency
towards a motivational coverage of environmental issues could be observed in the
regional language newspapers, e.g. when enlightening farmers on the negative
consequences of the use of pesticides.
It can be understood that something like most of the highly popularized
newspapers of India like Times of India, The Hindu, Hindustan Times or Indian
Express have an article on environmental issues at least every second day , here
Times of India doing the best job in terms of frequency. The reason for very low
level of coverage on environment can be explained by different reasons: First, the
fairly new field of environmental journalism which starting point was only in
1994 after the Bhopal catastrophe is not considered as an attractive one by
journalists, the majority of the journalists covering environment has been asked
to do so. Of course, there are several environmental journalists who have chosen
their subject out of true commitment, too. Second, environment is competing
with all the other issues covered in the newspaper whereby the most severe
selection criterion is the news worthiness of an issue. The interest of the reader as
far as news on environment is concerned is supposed to be still fairly low by the
editors. A big benchmark has been set up by the India's only environmental
magazine "Down to Earth" which has highlighted all the national international
current global environmental problems about which people are unaware and it
fills an important lack in Indian media and their coverage of environment. This
magazine is a kind of chronology of Indian environmental history which started
in the year of 1992. The main aspect of its approach is not only the coverage of a
broad variety of environment related topics (ranking from policy to science, from
local to global level) and their scientific background, but also the belief that
addressing environmental issues in a developing country like India is not a matter
of luxury, but of pure livelihood and wellbeing.
Print media, which is still dominant and most influential compared to
electronic media (internet, radio, television, blogs, etc.) in Africa, has so far
played a leading role in educating and informing the public on effects of
environmental deterioration and related human impacts. But little has been done
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on climate change regardless of all hurdles facing journalists in Sub-Saharan
Africa, there have been a remarkable number of articles and media releases on
the impacts of climate change in Africa. In Tanzania, there have been a number
of articles on climate-change impacts, but most of them are not on a regular basis
as compared with sports and political news. The effects of El Nino rains in 1998
reflected the most coverage in Tanzanian and East African newspapers. A
number of articles were published in several newspapers including the Daily
Nation (Kenya), The Standard (Kenya), Daily News (Tanzania), The Guardian
(Tanzania), The East African (East Africa) and the popular Kiswahili
newspapers, all reflecting the negative effects of the rains in most parts of the
East African region. The media - especially the print media - has a major role to
play in sensitizing vulnerable communities, donor agencies and African
governments so as to help in pulling resources that will help to reduce the effects
of climate change in the African continent (Apolinary Tairo).
In Assam though the print media started in the pre independent period still the
role and impact is very much influential in the society. It enjoys a backdrop of the
strong history and contribution made during the critical period of pre-
independent and also early post- independent period. In today's world where
technology has touched the moon still the hardcopy version is very much popular
than the online version since. It has taken the space of morning teatime without
which day cannot.
Table no. 3: List of some regional newspapers in Assam
Sl.no
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Assamese news papers
Asomiya Pratidin
Sad in
Dainik Janambhumi
Dainik Asom
Dainik Batori
Aamar Asom
Ajir Asom
Asomiya Khobor
Dainik Batori Kakot
English news papers
The Assam Tribune
The Telegraph
The Hindu
The Economic Times
Meghalaya Guardian
The States Man
The Indian Express
North -East Times
Times of India
Bengali newspapers
Dainik Jugasankha
Samoyik Prasanga
Hindi newspapers
Pratah Khobor
Dainik Purvoday
Sentinel (Hindi)
Purbanchal Prahari
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10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Dainik Janasadharan
Dainik Agradoot
Aji
Adinor Sambad
Adin
Niyamiya Barta
The Eastern Chronicle
The Hindustan Times
The Seven Sisters Post
Besides the hard copy version of the newspapers most of the papers are also
available in the online version which gives ample opportunity to the public to
have a look on these mirror of the state wherever they are, in fact lapse in daily
view can be continued through the online version .In the online version also
quality of the newspapers are very rich .But some papers are published from the
state only in the form of online version to fulfill some specific criteria of the
readers. Some of the e-newspaper from Assam are:
• Assam Times: This is a community newspaper published from
Assam. This paper mainly gives emphasis to Assam though this
paper deals with whole Northeastern area. This paper mainly has
concentrated on news from every nook and corner of the North
eastern states across the globe.News can be national, international
local news such as political, editorial, world affairs, business,
knowledge, Social, Entertainment, Political and educational etc.
This paper is also available to make this offline newspaper
readable.
Besides these newspapers, some important magazines and journals are also
published from Assam. These are online version or hardcopy for the children,
adults; housewives are different and provide information which is very relevant
in terms of quality and quantity. Some Science educational magazines are also
there to provide updated and latest information on science activities and events.
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Table no. 4: List of some regional journal and Magazines of Assam
Magazines
Of literature
The Eclectic
Goriyokhi
Prantik
Natunpodatik
Damol
Bhumi
Ranghar
Swasthya
Satsori
Entertainmen
t journals
Trishul
Bismol
Maya
Romance
Rahashya
Trishnatur
Hiya
Women's
magazine
Nandini
PriyaXokhi
Popular
Science
magazine
Bigyan
Jeuti
Bigyan
Surabhi
Natun
Aviskar
Natun
Srijan
Teen
magazine
Jeevan
Children's
magazine
Sophura
Mouchaqu
e
Online
Bilingual
magazine
Enajori.co
Vivek
Jagruti
Bus
mag
Bus
Non
The press in modern times has become a powerful social institution
known as 'Fourth Estate'. It facilitates the exchange of thoughts and helps to
solve many complex processes on a large scale in the shortest time. The press
becomes an crucial weapon to stir the scruples of the people, to enlighten them
with new ideas. The press is also an tool to develop modem culture ushered in the
science and arts. Newspaper reading is a habit. The magnitude of print media has
not diminished with the advent of electronic media. The fact remains that the
print media still holds its own position which can never be threatened by the
onslaught of new media. In fact print media can benefit from the new technology.
If the print media is to survive the onslaught of the electronic media and retain its
glory as the thinking media, it has to look inward and do a serious introspection.
At no time in the history of the Indian press, the requirement for self evaluation
has been greater than now. Press Council of India in its publication 'Future of
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Print Media' has given following recommendations for promoting and
strengthening the print
media.
Third Press Commission
Nearly two decades have gone since the Second Press Commission in
India had examined the status of the print media and submitted its report in 1982.
The UNESCO sponsored Mac Bride Commission's report (Many Voice one
World-Communication and Society, Today and Tomorrow) is also over two
decades old. The world has altered considerably in the interim period with the
emergence of a unipolar world, global market and fast development of the
Internet civilization and culture. Media is in a change both within and outside
India. The number and variety of newspapers has multiplied in the last two
decades. A revolution has also occurred in production and communications
technology. At the national level, it is time that a Third Press Commission is set
up to study and suggest ways and procedures to enable print media to fulfill its
functions in the new environment.
Internal Ombudsmen
To promote credibility and response to readers' reactions the institution of
Internal Ombudsmen may be strengthened or created complying with the need in
big newspapers. Newspapers with a minimum circulation (say 1 lakh per issue)
may be required to appoint independent Ombudsmen.
3. Cheaper newsprint for small papers
Genuine small newspapers may perhaps be helped with subsidized newsprint.
4. FIB Website
PIB Website already in operation may be strengthened and harnessed to
the maximum possible extent to provide readable language services, photo
services, feature service (including science service), cartoons, and comic strips
and so on.
5. Rural telephone exchanges
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More and more rural telephone exchanges should be provided for better news
gathering facilities for newspapers-big and small.
6. Convergence benefit
Many Websites are performing extremely well by combining audio-visual
and the print media, while the future of the media is considerably in the
convergence technology, a special media technology committee may examine if
the Indian print media can benefit from the convergence.
Co-operatives of small newspapers
Co-operatives of small newspapers in particular, may be encouraged to
run cost effective modern printing presses, internet connections and organize
workshops for journalists and printers for improving the overall quality of small
newspapers.
Insurance cover for journalists/editors
Journalists/editors should be provided adequate insurance cover by
owners and insurance companies through special schemes to protect them from
pressure, forced resignations, risk of life and so on.
Annual Accounts
Newspapers should be required by law to publish their annual accounts,
with full details of how much is spent on news operations and how much is
diverted for other purposes.
Social Audit of Press
Social audit of newspapers should be undertaken with regular periodicity to
evaluate and assess their performance vis a vis the society and its problems,
particularly of its weaker sections, and the development needs of the nation and
the inputs provided by the press to redress them.
Media Watch Groups
Media Watch Groups at regional/local levels should be encouraged to monitor the
contents of the newspapers at regular intervals, with a special eye on the
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suppression of important news, distortion and manipulation of the news, planting
of news, violations of journalistic ethics, etc.
Companies and Co-operatives of journalists
To ensure security of job and independence of journalists, the companies where
the journalists have a major shareholding as in some other countries and co
operatives of journalists should be encouraged.
3.3 Media and Disaster Communication
Media can play a great role in communication of the natural disasters of the
region. Media has certain characteristics that make them powerful instrument of
disaster communication as they provide quick and easy access to large number of
people located at different places. It helps in highlighting the problems and
difficulties faced by the people affected by disasters. Media mobilizes public opinion
for relief and rehabilitation assistance. For the effective management of disasters the
most important point is to get access to the right information. All those organizations
who are concerned with managing disasters necessarily have the need to access
timely and accurate information. The manifestations of disaster, taking place in the
affected areas are informed by media only. Both the people and the governments
are alert by media. The issue of climate change is a very sensitive issue which has
different socio economic effects on the society and any wrong information may
lead to a great chaos therefore journalists must deal with sensitivity, intelligence
and accuracy. They require a healthy dose of skepticism and a strong stomach for
intrigues. In fact, the news analysts and commentators should have gain more
knowledge on these issues. Journalists should make it inheriting to report disaster
risk management without any failure and should gear up to focus on activities in
reporting to educate people and authorities for prevention, mitigation, adaptation
and rehabilitation due to disasters. In this competitive world, media is prioritizing
to sensationalize the news, but it is rather remarkable to sensitize the public about
understanding the disasters.
During Pre-Disaster
The possibility of occurrence of any disaster and the precautionary
measures can be announced by the media at the time of emergency. Just before
the disaster hits, emergency management officials hit the airwaves to broadcast
the message of impending danger and a specific action plan on how public can
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stay safe. Some great disasters as tsunami, fire and flood typically have warning 9
signs, allowing officials hours and possibly days to prepare beforehand. Officials
hold media conferences whenever they receive updated information about the
disaster. Those officials on the emergency management responsibility update the
public on the current situation and give specific directions on how the public can
prepare. During prime television special disaster preparedness news broadcasts
air viewing time in an effort to reach the masses. It is observed that news
coverage is interactive and allows the public to call the station and ask questions
on air. Producers often invite disaster management professionals to answer on-air
questions and present special information to help the public prepare for the
situation.
During Disaster
When a disaster strikes a horrifying situation occurs and goes in trauma.
If public are not given any prior warning or not informed about the safety
measures they should take in the time of their emergency then there will be no
chance of rescuing them. As at the time of disaster ,to give the media coverage is
very critical. For example, during tsunami which occurred in 2004, news media
provided 24-hour coverage on what people should do where to go and who to call
if they thought their family members or well known persons were victims. It was
seen that Media also provided updates on search and recovery efforts and tracked
the government's efforts to respond to the situation. During disaster, nearly every
household in affected areas lose power and television reception. In that time only
radio broadcasting helps to keep others informed about the storm's progress, track
and possible damage. Reporters often stand out in the middle of the storm to
report on the effects, which can help the viewing public assess the severity.
Amateur radio operators can use hundreds of frequencies and can quickly
establish networks tying disparate agencies together to enhance interoperability.
During Post-Disaster
This is the stage where media coverage is vital to keep the public informed of
potential safety hazards and business closings. It is the responsibility of the Schools
and office authorities to close these organizations immediately following a disaster.
Here the regional television news stations broadcast which facilities are closed, so
that residents can make alternate plans. News programs also cover which areas are
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destroyed or are dangerous. Emergency management officials will appear on TV to
hold updates concerning service restoration. Television media coverage may
continue as long as there is a threat to public safety.
In the city of Guwahati itself has regional channels but it is of utmost
important to check whether these channels are providing extensive environmental
information or not?What is the quality of such programmes and also the quantity
of the programmes on monthly basis.Both the television and radio channels are of
big concern for answering such queries. As North east is full of biodiversity as
well natural resources which is degrading day by day due to human intervention.
So to create public awareness regarding such issues what the regional media is
doing?But the regional print and electronic media are facing some problems
which must be shorted out to fulfill the actual goal. Some of these problems are
as follows:
In the media houses it is seen that both for the print or electronic media till now
no specific environmental journalist is employed which is the prime factor for
environmental information dissemination. The news and the related information
depends very much on individual's personality. If the person is environmental
lover then he obiously will give importance to each and every regional
environmental problems and will try to create the viewer's attention.
Unfortunately, these persons are neither trained nor have any idea on
environmental journalism and thus the coverage of environmental issues lies
completely on invidual's personal interests and commitment.
Another very important problem in using media for education is the lack of
feedback and control of the audience or readership so that it is difficult to assess
the impact of educational broadcasting. A support system that is needed for an
educational message to deliver it to its target group can be offered only in few
cases, the same is true for a deepening of information gained through the usage of
media, e.g. via sharing experiences through discussions. Interestingly, only
television and radio have an educational and motivational approach when dealing
with environmental issues, while newspaper editors feel that their job is limited to
providing their readership with information. Commercialization is another big
factor which keeps environmental issues silent. A definite obstacle for
environment playing an even more prominent role in media is commercialization.
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Since many editors fee! that "you can get no money out of environment",
environment is not an agenda.
3.4 Role of Mass Media in identification and exploration of environmental
issues
Communication plays a central role in shaping of mind and understanding
of the natural world and the role of humans therein. In turn such understandings,
helps in realization of the situations and creates a corner for environment in the
heart of millions of people. In fact such understanding also helps in skill
development for required action for the protection of the earth. Communication
is also the terrain where diverse points of view are negotiated. The issues of
power and access to different arenas are important; some individuals or
organisations have a voice, while others are constrained. Communicating
specialist knowledge on complex environmental problems, such as climate
change, to policy-makers poses diverse challenges. It is important to device ways
to make scientific uncertainty and its implications for policy-making meaningful
to all.
The term 'environmental communication' is not a recent phenomenon
although it has been discussed all over the world in many dimensions and
context. It relates to the world civilization and religious perspectives. Particularly,
the Islam (Wikipedia, 2010) clearly discussed about the ways of life. It is called
the complete code of life (Mindamadai, 2010). Relevantly, other religions also
may deal with the environmental implications (Adherents, 2010). Its normal
meaning relates to surrounding's but obviously it is a concept that is relative to
whatever object it is which is surrounded. It is originated from the French word
"environ" which means encircle or make surroundings. In simple meaning
environment is an integral part of human life. It is also defined as the
surroundings of inhabitation and economic activities of the people. Broadly, it is
composed of three different components such as natural, techno sphere and social
environment. Everything is everything as pointed out Albert Einstein:
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"Environment is everything that isn't me". It means that everything that may
constitute environment (Simon Bail & Stuart, 1996). The nature is very delicate
and sensitive which should be handled with very care and our attitude must be
eco-friendly as since the starting of the earth we people have started interfering
with natural processes to fulfill our own needs. But before preparing for a simple
and considering attitude towards flora and fauna people must have gain enough
knowledge to relate to the global environmental procedure and meanings.
Therefore in order to support of the environmental consideration, we need to
critically discuss the role of the international intergovernmental environmental
actors, the international nongovernmental environmental institutions. In fact,
many initiatives on the environmental conservation and development have been
done by the international environmental organizations throughout the world.
From the very early ages since the starting of the religion in the world's history
the love towards the nature mention in the religious books like Bibel, Geeta and
Koran which are the tower of the three religions. What environment provides and
its importance must be recognized by the people then only environmental
degradation would be stopped and so environmental communication is of utmost
important. Environmental communication is both an activity/phenomenon and a
field of study that, not surprisingly, studies the activity/phenomenon. As an
activity/phenomenon, environmental communication is all of the diverse forms of
interpersonal, group, public, organizational, and mediated communication that
make up the social discussion/debate about environmental issues and problems,
and our relationship to non-human nature. This also can. be referred as the
broader social discussion about Nature. Environmental communication manifests
as the discourse of Nature and its subset, the environmental discourse. Starting
from billboards to Twitter, Facebook to Time magazine,Current TV to the
regional local public and hearing of scientific reports, environmental
communication is existing everywhere only its value is not realized.
Environmental communication is a part of nature. It consists of the relationship
between the nature and humans (Stephen W. Littlejohn & Karen A. Foss, 2010).
This also deals with the human nature relations and impacts. Simply, field of
communication discipline. This topic is concerned with the ways the people
communicate about the natural world and the impacts on the environment.
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Environmental communication affected by several factors and context such as tiie
social, economical, political that influence to the formation. It is negotiated
within the cultural communication, mass media, public communication,
interpersonal communication, popular culture etc. Environmental communication
draws from the cultural theory, media theory, rhetorical theory, social movement
theory etc. History supports that it is originated from the early 1980s to 1984
based on theory and this theory states that the environmental communication
involves in the process and creation of this universe. This universe is involved
with the human creation. Additionally, in Cox's words (p.20), environmental
communication is "the pragmatic and constitutive vehicle for our understanding
of the environment as well as our relationships to the natural world; it is the
symbolic medium that we use in constructing environmental problems and
negotiating society's different responses to them." By pragmatic Cox means the
instrumental function of educating, alerting, persuading, mobilizing, solving, etc.
By constitutive he means the creative function of helping to shape our
perceptions of nature, environmental issues and ourselves.
According to V. K. Narayana Menon (1981) (cited by S.P. Alahari, 1997), the
notion of individuality is lost in the word 'mass' and various forms of media such
as radio, television, newspaper, etc., report events intended for such an enormous
number of listeners, viewers, and readers. Enormous advances in
telecommunication networks have revolutionized the function of mass media to
serve wider coverage at a faster pace worldwide. Thus it has provided an
enabling environment for media in the new era to achieve its ultimate aim of
reaching to a very large audience in Bhutan. In this context. Mass
communication, plays a crucial role in connecting the world to an individual, and
provides opportunity for the individual to communicate with a wider audience.
However, the downside of mass media communication, as national and
international media ownership is more likely to be influenced by a few, is in its
difficulty to maintain neutrality to what is being shared through different modes
of public communications (McDonald, 2004; Ura, 2006). A classic example of
the case in point can be illustrated by referring to often one-sided picture
presented by mainstream western media of events unfolding in Balkan in 1999
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and of the American war on Iraq (Kuensel, May, 1999a; BBC news, 2005). It is
reported by S.P. Alahari (1997), however, that one of the greatest concerns of
many communication scholars in not so much the effect of mass media on people
in general, but the potential function of mass media for bringing desirable social
change and for achieving the developmental goals of nations. Hundreds of
scholars set the stage on the dynamics of development and the role of mass media
in achieving developmental goals.
In practice environmental communication is done through different forms
of media which are basically Mass media. Institutional media, traditional media
and social media. The present chapter will discuss these above mentioned forms
of media practices for environmental communication with illustrations of some
case studies of special importance which will provide general idea and also the
current environmental awareness practices and its effectiveness.
3,5 Mass media practices
Media can focus on factors that cause environmental problems as well as
adverse impact on people. The environmental problems, which threaten the
present day existence as well as the future of humanity, are brought to peoples
notice by the media. Some of these 3 issues are really quiet alarming and need to
be focused upon, so that people can be made aware of their intensity. Straight
reports, discussions, photo features and articles by experts help in informing the
people about different aspects of climate change issue. The layman may not be
able to assess the impact of many of the environmental problems persisting
around them. The effect of the depletion of ozone layer and its long term effect
on global warming, poses threat of melting ice caps in the polar region. The
inducing rise in sea level and extinction of all species of living beings on earth
cannot be comprehended in full measure by everybody. If media attempts to
educate the masses on such vital issues, at least, the intelligent and right-thinking
people will become aware about the need to take the precautionary measures and
they get sensitized towards the natural resource conservation and protection.
Mass-media campaigns are among the policy tools most commonly used
to attempt to influence public opinion of particular issues. The influence of the
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mass media on public opinion has been shown to be quite short-lived because
media coverage jumps from issue to issue, often from day to day (Driedger,
2007). Over the longer term, media attention of particular issues has been shown
to vary considerably, often in identifiable cycles (Downs, 1972). Nevertheless,
many public opinion surveys in developed countries have shown that television
and daily newspapers are used as primary sources of information (Project for
Excellence in Journalism, 2006). In Japan, Aoyagi-Usui (2008) revealed that
most of the Japanese public get its information about environment issues from
television and daily newspapers. The mass media are very influential tools for
widening public awareness of environmental issues (Schoenfeld et al., 1979;
Slovic, 2000).
In case of electronic media, Radio is found to be the cheap, most easily
accessible and the radio signals cover almost the whole country. It is found that
on average there are only 4.4 radio / transistors sets per 100 persons. 80 percent
are in urban homes, only about six million sets left with 525 million rural 10
population. Additionally, the frequency of listening to the radio is relatively low:
only 35% of the interviewees declared to listen to the radio regularly, most of
them ranking between half an hour and two hours per day. Since the use of radio
is not a significant one then obiously the role of radio in creating environmental
awareness can not be considered an important one due to the fact that there are
only very few regular environmental programs are broadcasted which hardly can
have effect on people's behaviour, although there is an instruction by Supreme
Court for all media that programs on environment should be broadcast. The point
to be concerned is that though India's Supreme Authority has ordered for such
beneficial programmes yet this has no serious effect on the radio channels or
radio programmes. Delhi FM is broadcasting two weekly programs on
environment motivated by the Ministry of Environment &Forests which are
"Kinare - Kinare" and "Ao Dilli Savaren". Different current environmental
problems like global warming, pollution problems, water scarcity problem,
climate chage etc. should be broadcasted and the on the basis of the different
target audiences the mode of presentation must be changed to fulfill the actual
goals unless there will be no use of these progrmmes. Unsystematic and
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unorganized cannot help here by any means such programmes dealt are must
naturally adjusted to the target group and the background of the program: science
programs focus on scientific explanations and new technical developments,
children's programs have a more educational and motivational approach, city
programs are addressing local problems like air, water and noise pollution and so
on. The environmental programmes and news on the national level are very
scarce, if news on environment are broadcast this is most often at the regional
level.
As a whole it could be summarised radio is well below its potential in
creating environmental awareness and over the last few years no increase in
broadcasts on environment can be observed yet, there has been at least one
progressive approach in the use of radio in environmental education that should
be mentioned; In 1998, All India Radio, the Indian National Radio Network,
addressed environmental issues such as water, air and noise pollution,
deforestation, solid waste disposal, organic farming and other topics in a 52-
episode entertainment-education radio serial "Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum"
("Where have we arrived?"), a story of rural background in which a factory
settles near a small village. The entertainment-education communication strategy
purposely designs and implements a media message to both entertain and
educate, in order to increase audience members' knowledge, create favorable
attitudes and change behavior. "Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum" was produced under
the leadership of Mrs. Usha Bhasin with the assistance of the Central Pollution
Control Board of India. From June to December this via 31 radio stations this
serial was broadcast weekly with repeated versions covering seven Indian states
in the densely populated Hindi-speaking areas of northern India and could able to
attract the listenership upto lOOOOO.The main reason for such popularization was
the wide preprogram publicity via radio, television, press and NGOs working in
the broadcast area .The significant attraction of this serial was the serial itself
addressed environmental issues in an entertaining manner, trying to contact the
listeners in their every day life context, the epilogues usually delivered by a
credible media celebrity advertised the educational message. Obviously the
approach was an interactive one: A competitive spirit was fostered among
listeners by awarding prices for the quality of provided feedback, outstanding
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community work by listeners in the realm of environmental conservation was
also recognized. The studies on the programme effectiveness accompanying the
broadcasting process showed that the radio serial provoked not only past-
broadcast discussion, but also the founding of clubs in which members listened to
the serial collectively and started campaigns to save the environment.
Thus this programme "Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum was very successful and was
able to proved that the use of entertainment education as communication strategy
in the field of environment can be equally utilized as in social ones in which it
has been practiced before. In this new approach, especially via entertainment
radio it was possible to reach the less educated and rural parts of the population
which an extremely promising one so if one programme meet the challenges then
why not all the programmes? In India, electronic media are in a key position due
to the high level of illiteracy and they believe whatever the media broadcast
without any scientific base and any proper investigation. Studies have shown that
both radio and television are perceived as authoritative and friendly media by
vast percentages of the population. Since India's 45 million television sets cover
86.5 per cent of the country's population, television is one of the most powerful
effective means of propaganda and persuasion. In India over 10 million homes
have cable and satellite connections.
In remote villages Television has become a new status symbol. In very
rural areas people have at least sometimes access to television e.g. in small
restaurants and long route busses. But gradually the importance of television is
significantly increasing and this rapid growth rate of television sets (3 million
annually) will even increase numbers television in the future. The very
popularization of television is due to the fact that television provides both audio
visual presentations which directly helps teaching practical work: A televised
presentation can be as clear as a face-to-face demonstration.
An extensive front-page coverage of acute environmental issues have
been provided by the television in the last years. Different environmental
programmes on acute environmental issues are broadcasted such as accidents
and spills while often relegating chronic environmental problems such as
shrinking rain forests and leaking underground storage tanks (and harder-to-cover
accidents) to the inside pages or the end of the news programs. Journalists and
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broadcasters look for timely news pegs on which to hang their stories. Accidents
and spills not only provide perfect news pegs but also dramatic visual images.
Nevertheless, issues of budget and geography sometimes affect television
networks, causing them to shy away from stories that are inconvenient for camera
crews to get to and cover (Greenberg et al., 1989).Considering these promising
prerequisites for the use of television in environmental education it is good news
that - compared to newspapers and radio - television does a good job in covering
environmental issues human are dominant of some characteristics-"Seeing is
believing". Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel and Animal Planet
Channel are considered as the most sophisticated educational channels which
provides live telecast of different national international environmental
issues.They often make animation and demonstrate the whole process in very
clear and perfect way where viewers never remain any doubt. The life under
ocean, endangered and extinct species, high pollution effects, global warming
effects are presented in scientific way and clears all doubts of mind. All national
channels are regulated by law to offer environmental programs. Doordashan the
most important channel of dissemination that reaches all over the country has
three regular programs on environment: each of the weekly broadcasts of
scientifically profound "Earth Matters" focuses on one special environmental
problem. Targeted at educated people "Earth Matters" offers different
information on the sources, explains the consequences of the problem considered
and gives suggestions for solution by changing individual behavior. Again,
Weekly "Terraquiz", India's first environmental quiz show on television, is a
competition of the top ranking schools from Green Olympiad and is sent between
Hindu and English news. In the midnight "Nature Plus" was even broadcast
daily, most often however at midnight. The broadcasting of a forth weekly
programme of 30 minutes named "Earth" in form of a magazine that subsidizes
successful initiatives of individuals is planned by the Ministry of Environment &
Forest in cooperation with Doordashan. Additionally, BBC's "Earth Report"
offers exclusively information on environment and with the daily broadcast of
"The new adventures of Captain Planet" on Cartoon Network there is at least one
program on environmental issues especially designed for children. All these
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programmes have high impact on different target audiences and fulfill the actual
goal of the programme.
Different case studies are found where both the print media and electronic
media are focusing different global environmental problems such as climate
change, global warming and also helping in disaster mitigation .Climate change is
a serious global issue of concern about which most of the rural people are
unaware where media is working as the mediator in different parts of the world
for solving such disasters.
3.6 Other media types and environmental information dissemination
3.6.1 Institutional media
With the growing technologies educational institutions have started use of
multimedia technologies for teaching different subjects in the schools or in the
secondary and tertiary levels of education either in government and private
institutes or regular and distance mode institutes . In both formal and non-formal
mode of education Environmental education has been practiced as compulsory
course in Indian primary schools to Universities. Understanding the current
global environmental hazards the honourable Supreme Court of India has
introduced the Environmental education (EE) program as a regular course in
India and thus following these directives several environmental programmes were
implemented in the country from the primary level to tertiary level of education.
In India, taking initiative from Stockholm summit 1972, it incorporated
environmental concern in the constitution through 42"'' Amendment in 1976.Thus
gradually environment has become a priority in policy statements. Planes and
Strategies especially after 1980 with the establishment of a full fledged Ministry'
of Environment and forests (C.J.Sonowal, 2009). The same way, increasing
concern on Environmental Education (EE) in India gained its momentum while
its importance was recognized by the Government and policy was planned
subsequently to introduce EE in schools. The government of India in 1896,
declared the importance of teaching environmental education in schools
throughout the country and thus an increased awareness of unsustainable
practices throughout the country was made, particularly in agriculture. Realizing
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that villagers were unable to produce enough food to meet their yearly need due
to increased population growth coupled with a decrease in the land's carrying
capacity, education and government officials introduced environmental education
themes into the national curriculum (Pande, A., 2001). The National Policy on
Education, 1986 states "There is a paramount need to create a consciousness of
the Environment. Certainly it must permeate all ages and all sections of society,
beginning with the child. Teching of Environmental programe must create
environmental consciousness among students in schools and colleges. The
National Policy on Education visualizes a national curricular framework, which
contains a common core including several elements having direct bearing on the
natural and social environment of the pupils. The government hoped to use
environmental education programmes in schools and communities as a conduit to
increase awareness about the environment, and give citizens the knowledge and
skills to respond to environmental issues (Pande, L., 2002). Thus Environmental
studies were used as an interdisciplinary subject in the initial years of schooling.
At later levels it narrowed down to the conventional disciplines (Kumar, A.,
1986). From UGC (India) organized national seminars on Environmental
Education through Universities in 1984 it was seen that though the people knew
about the importance of the Environment education only few were clear or had
any idea or experience as to how environment education could be successfully
taught (Khoshoo, T.N. :199]). Environmental education in one or the other form
was existed in school curriculum prior to the Honourable Supreme Court of
India's directive on 18th December, 2003, to impart EE in educational institutes
as a compulsory subject. But controversies were there in way of imparting EE in
school as the curriculum was not similar throughout the country and there was no
uniform standard too. Several discussions were held and suggestions were
forwarded by different authorities, but no general consensus could be derived at
the end. Except for the schools in Uttarakhand where EE was included as one of
the regular subjects up to class VlII, no other schools in the country had found a
suitable place for regular EE course (C.J. Sonowal, 2009).
Most of the early research studies show that print media are the prime
source of information dissemination in the conventional and traditional
institutions while the application of multimedia is observed in the distance mode
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of education for the environmental education practice. Various multimedia
approaches basically -include web technologies, modules, audio video
programmes and online teaching methodologies. The increasing gap between the
learners and the facilitators is the main reason for use of such technologies which
acts as online instructors. Thus these multimedia approaches provide the learners
a plateform for communicating with the teacher instructor and can clear their
doubt in teacher's abscentia. Here the investigator would like to highlight some
of the case studies of multimedia use for environmental teaching in national and
international context.
The study conduted by Kudrajavtsev and Usova (2006) investigated how
online communication among youth teams form two countries contributed to
achievement of environment education .They found from the study that he
computer mediated international exchanges when combined with local hands on
investigation and other activities , may contribute to youth understanding of their
own and foreign social and ecological communities. It also revealed that
education programmes connected youth from across the globe via the internet to
help them explore and share knowledge about, science, environment, health and
other issues . Additionally, these programmes involve young minds and Global
virtual school for Sustainable Development. Some of these goals teach youth
about science, develops their computer skills and engage them in cross cultural
collaborations and local actions.
Dot-Comments, (2007) has stated about the youth communicating and
networking project 'Youth can Med'which introduces sustainable development in
the Lebanese schools and also provide opportunities to the young learners who
can make an impact in their own communities. The project also had organized
one conference where video conference technology was used involving countries
like New york, Morocco and India.
Nomura, K., 2004 World school Network "Ecoplus" considers recent
advances in information and communication technology and their potential for
environmental education particularly for school children. It provides a platform to
school children via the internet where they can exchange their views and gain
environment related information from all over the world.
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The Green Schools programme was launched by Centre for Science and
Environment in India where environmental auditing was carried out with the help
of Surveys. In response, CEE initiated the "Green Teacher" as one year distance
mode 'Diploma in Environmental Education' in partnership with the COL. This
course was designed for providing a continuing learning opportunity in
Environmnetal programme for the teachers and tried to train teachers to
effectively take up environmental concerns and issues in the classroom, and
engage their students in practical, action-oriented Environmental Education (EE)
activities and projects. In this program the teacher is a facilitator and organized
activities on the basis of a handbook called Green school programme manual.
Significantly, a Green educators Network has been launched which has the vision
of bringing together environment educators across the globe to create a plat form
to share and discus various aspects of Environmental Education. The initiative
also releases "Down to Earth" a weekly dispatch of feature articles in English and
Hindi languages.
The study of Guadagno, Dhital & Petley( 2003) stated the "land-man" the
Asia-European project, a new dimension aiming to implement both a new
curriculum and a new distance learning model in the field of landslides
management which deals with situations that occur prior to, during, and after the
landslide. The emphasis in Land-Man is placed on establishing methodologies,
guidelines, and tools to develop Open and Distance Learning (ODL) for the
future improvement and harmonization of education in Landslides Management.
The project has the main intension to use internet-based tools in order to
strengthen the co-operation between partners and thus lay a stable, cross-cultural,
internet-oriented foundation for the future ODL-based educational model and
implemnetd all those required activities. The project also aims to nurture positive
attitudes towards distance learning by changing the techniques whereby students
learn landslides management, using the latest educational strategies and
technology. Through an established web site (www.land-man.net) the project
aims to create a self-sustaining virtual community open to academics,
professionals and decision makers, thus reaching and benefiting a wide
multidisciplinary user group. Firstly, academics attending the curricula and the
training courses will be in a position to pass on the knowledge and experience
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gained to their students. The training course is specifically designed for this
purpose and part of the output for the activity will be documentation that can be
used by participants for future teaching purposes.
Ontario schools have environmental education programme which
addresses how the schools are run and what contents the students learn? The main
focus of the Ontario school is in student success in both academics and positive
contribution to society. The programme aims to influence young people during
the formative period of their lives, and affect an exponential impact as children
take a culture of conservation home with item. Ontario schools EE programme is
designed collaboratively by school boards to incorporate EE as environmentally
responsible action into the school setting .
Sally Crompton & Robin Roy (2001) have introduced a new distance
learning course 'working with our Environment: Technology for a Sustainable
Future'. This team was an interdisciplinary team within the Technology Faculty
of the Open University developed this undergraduate course, which enrolls over
1500 students per year. The main objectives and aims of the programmes is to
help students understand how the use of technology to meet human material
needs contributes to environmental effects. At the start of the course a lifestyle
environmental assessment activity, called EcoCal, is integrated within students'
study materials which enables students to assess the main impacts on the
environment arising from their own household's consumption of energy,
transport, food and water and production of waste. Through the use, either of a
printed questionnaire or publicly available software, students can calculate their
'Ecological Footprint' and then consider and model the effects of changes to their
lifestyle. The aim of these suggestions is to encourage students to think of ways
of reducing the environmental impact of their own household, perhaps discussing
with others in the household and thinking creatively. Students are asked to write a
report of about 1500 words outlining the changes that they considered reducing
their household's environmental impacts as a result of carrying out the EcoCal
Activity. From a statistical analysis of the data (Roy and Caird, 2000) the
contributions to the total household Ecological Footprint for the whole Open
University student sample are in order of magnitude (taking averages per person)
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from Transport, Energy, House & garden, Shopping, Waste and Water. On
average Transport and Energy account for nearly three quarters of the total
Ecological Footprint per person.
A number of reports have been published in recent years examining the
relationship among ICTs, the environment and climate change at national and
regional levels. So far, however, relatively little attention has been paid in
international governance institutions to the role ICT-based innovation could play
in meeting the challenge of climate change or responding to other environmental
issues. For example, the 2007 United Nations Global Environment Outlook
"GEO-4: Environment and Development"; the 2007/08 United Nations Human
Development Report "Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided
World"; the OECD's 2007 Innovation and Growth strategy; and the 2008 OECD
Environmental Outlook to 2030 all make only slight, passing reference to the role
ICTs can play in relation to climate change and other environmental issues.
"Sustainable development and environmental awareness concept" studied
by Pass (2003) mentioned about the environment specific website ENO-
Environment Online a global virtual school with network based in Finland. This
also included 400 numbers of participating schools. Four environmental themes
are studied within a school year on a weekly basis. The communication platform
of that school is based on Google's free suite of communication tools, including
Google's groups, maps, docs, e-mail and its "Talk" chat application. ENO's
learning activities include a youth forum for discussing issues of sustainable
development and environmental awareness. It uses a global tree planting
campaign among schools as a unifying motivator; and applies a school "
twinning" model where schools from different countries partner up to learn about
specific themes or work on projects together.
Asia-Pacific Environmental Innovation Strategies (APEIS) & Research on
Innovative and Strategic Policy Options (RISPO) which conducted study over
utilization of ICT in delivery of environmental education in school level. World
School Network (WSN) had some objectives to develop an attitude and interest
among the students towards contributing to global society, to provide
opportunities to children to learn via global communications that environmental
issues throughout the world are interrelated, to help children take initiative on
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environmental issues in their own communities and also to develop an
international educational programme for current environmental issues. Various
communication platform provided by WSN for those students were "Project
circles" and "Adventure project" which included some of the specific ICT based
activities.
The IT/ICT based project involves not only the aspect of environmental
education but also that of inter-cultural communication, English language,
development studies, and international education, etc. A simple illustration is it is
reported that many school children in Japan learnt about life without electricity
through communication with Micronesian children, which enhanced their
knowledge about differences in lifestyles and deepened their understanding about
their affluent and convenient way of life as well as its environmental impacts
(World School 1995). The IT tool can develop the children's capacity of
exploring, which increases the inputs in their knowledge. Also, "having
somebody to talk to about what they have studied" motivates children to learn
(World School Japan 1995). The behavioral change was also noticed through
learning. For example, children of one school have made a volunteer circle called
"World Chance Children" to issue newspapers, which are disseminated to the
community to raise environmental awareness, and to collect the scattered cans
and bins for recycling (World School Japan 1997).
Some secondary impact was also noticed among the children which can have a
positive impact on adults and the community Their achievements include policy
making for recycling, waste reduction and segregated disposal (with local
government), passing out reusable shopping bags to the use of disposable bags
(with Lions Clubs), cleanup projects in their hometowns (with other schools); and
composting and opening of a flea market (World School Network 2002). Based
on the WSN activities the lessons that could be learnt are IT/ ICT technology to
promote environmental education at schools. The various activities of the World
School Network have enhanced the learning process by providing different
views, facilitating discussion, etc. Such learning not only increases the
knowledge and learning motivation of children, but also changes their attitudes
and behaviour, which can have a positive impact on the community at large.
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3.6.2 Traditional media and Assam
Tradition can be simply defined as tiie cumulative heritage of society which
permeates through all levels of social organization, social structure and the
structure of personality. Tradition is found in the form of habit, custom, attitude
and the way of life is transmitted from generation to generation either through
written words or words of mouth. There is no doubt that the traditional media like
direct interaction and communication of an individual with his family, friends,
neighbours or environmental activists can play an important role in enhancing
environmental awareness, another perspective would stress that the frequency of
discussions on environment or, in more general terms, the use of traditional
media is more an indicator of the prevailing level of environmental awareness
than a factor contributing to it. Tradition always plays an important role in
creating artistic process, particularly in the field of folk performing arts. Tradition
is the process of transmission of the age old values and the contextual
manifestation and interpretation of the universe. The traditional performing arts
indicate belongingness and affinity in cultural context and are considered as an
integral part of general life of people in traditional societies.
In the year 1972, when the international parenthood federation and UNESCO
organized a series of meetings in London relating to integrated use of folk and
traditional media in family planning communication programmes the first
significant international recognition of the traditional media.The traditional media
became effective in many political and social campaigns launched by Mahatma
Gandhi. Likewise, the eminent Tamil poet Sumbramanium Bharati started using
folk music to evoke patriotic feelings. Folk tunes were used to popularize songs
and glories of spinning wheels and consequently boycotting British goods.
Similarly, in 1940's India People Theatre Association successfully handled some
of the popular regional theatre like "Jatra" of Bengal, "Bavai" of Gujarat,
''Tamsa" of Maharastra, "Burkatha" of Andhra Pradesh, to increa
The outcome of various researchers has established the importance of folk media
in development communication. Kamlongera and Van Den Stichele (2000)
viewed that dialogue is the essence of any work in communication for
development.Folk media has quickly been recognizedas one way of ensuring
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such a dialogue. Zwaal (2000) said that folk media is a communication vehicle
for promoting and improving dialogue which the common people or rural farmers
employ to deliver their messages. Panford etal. (2001), Assam's rich folk-theatre
traditions are on the verge of extinction and the artists are living in acute poverty
as the government has taken no initiative in this regard, the premier literary
organization "Asom Sahitya Sabha" alleged today. Kamrupiya Bhuliya, Ojapali,
Khulia Bhaoria, Bharigaan, Kushangaan, Putala Naach and other forms of
traditional folk theatre face threat of the mass media. The investigator here would
like to describe some of the important traditional shows which obiously can meet
the urgent need of media and also can help enough in environmental knowledge
dissemination.
Jatras
These are very popular folk theatre spread throughout the areas of Indian
sub-continents including Bangladesh. In the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar,
Assam, Orissa and Tripura, Jatras are usually four hour long plays preceded by
amusical concert, often lasting nearly an hour used to attract audience. The
dramatic performance itself is liberally mixed with dramatic monologues, songs
and duet dances, routines on the folk tune which are often seen as scene
transitions. Jatra plays are usually performed on the stages that are open on all
sides. The Jatra movement gradually moved to the urban areas and even brought
literaryworks to the rural masses which were predominantly illiterate at that time.
There is a huge scope in the state to deliver the environmental messages to the
illiterate people in the rural areas.
Songs
Assam is the source of huge biodiversity including forest and animal resources
which are highlighted in traditional "Bongeef , these are the folk songs of Assam
and relates mainly the natural environmental resources like forest resources,
animal resources of the state. These songs indirectly mean for preserving these
natural resources which are very much precious and deliver messages of
environmental management. But due to the introductions of various modem
songs these songs are going to death .Therefore it is an urgent need for
preservation and reintroduction of these traditional songs which helps delivering
environmental messages to the mass."Bihugeet" also sometime proved to be the
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messenger of seasons and beautiful environment of Assam though it is famous as
traditional romantic songs .Various beautiful natural resources of Assam like
Orchid, vulnerable plants are also described along with the romantic messages
which also can serve as the best tool for developing environmental concern.
Bator Naat
Batomaat are basically the street plays organized for awareness
campaigning against different socio environmental issues where the actor tries to
act and delivers the massages to the public.Under the GoI-UNDP Disaster Risk
Management (DRM) Program, "BaatorNaat" (street plays) were organised to
generate awareness on disaster preparedness. These were done during various
community festivals social events like the buffalo fighting, "Jon Bill" Mela,
BungiMela, cock fighting and various religious gatherings. The community
participated very enthusiastically and proactively in programme, which increased
the community's level of preparedness. "Ankia Bhaona" was traditionally
confined to satras with performances strictly confined to those associated with
these monasteries where the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata were depicted
using acts and drama on the stages in some occasions. These also have huge
scope in delivering environmental messages to the public.
3.7 ICT and Environment
Ham /Amateur Radio
Amateur radio is often used as a means of emergency communication in the
emergency times of crisis and natural disasters, when wire line, mobile phones and
other conventional means of communications fail. Amateur radio is not as dependent
on terrestrial facilities as it is dispersed throughout a community without "choke
points" such as cellular telephone sites that can be overloaded. Amateur radio
operators are experienced in improvising antennas and power sources and most
equipment today can be powered by an automobile battery. Annual "Field Days" are
held in many countries to practice these emergency improvisational skills. The
operators use hundreds of frequencies and quickly establish networks tying disparate
agencies together to enhance interoperability.
Mobile Technology
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Mobile phones can play a very crucial role in the time of hazards and natural
disasters. Mobile phones are the multimodal tool par excellence. In disaster
management, SMS can be used to organize mass mobilizations, action alerts,
precautionary and relief measures advocated by Government and Non-Governmental
organizations. Uncountable developments have occurred in the functions and the use
of mobile phones include the enhanced ability of phones to create and transmit
content other than SMS. High quality photo and video capability in the newest
generation 14 of mobile phones has led to several software tools that allow people to
publish photos, audio, and videos from mobilizations directly to disaster related
websites. Bulk SMS are also being sent through mobiles.
Web Based Technologies
Internet has made the world a very small place. Basically different Web
Based Technologies are emerging as a very important tool for effective planning,
communication, and training in the various stages of the disaster management. These
technologies provide a platform for people across the world to exchange ideas,
knowledge and technology. It brings people together with common interests
irrespective of geographical location. In the time of disaster management these
technologies reaches out to every nook and corner of the world and more and more
people become online. All the countries recognized the importance of developing an
information infrastructure capable of sustaining state of art technology for use at the
time of disasters. Additionally, there is a move towards globalization of disaster
networks to provide speedy assistance to every disaster victim, irrespective of the
national boundary and geographical location. Now a days technologies are
becoming more user-friendly, and cost-effective in India, Internet GIS is used for the
management of disasters. These are very much effective in the event of any disaster
for providing the first hand information about the extent of damage, the areas
affected and to direct the rescue and relief operations. In India, the SWOT analysis
(strengths, limitations, opportunities and the risks) is the Internet-based GIS for
disaster management. Maps and spatial information are important components of the
overall information in case of disaster event (flood, earthquake, cyclone, landslide,
wildfire and famine). Hence mapping and spatial information acquisition becomes
vital for disaster management effort.
3.8 Newly emerging social media and Environmental knowledge
dissemination
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Today's world is spending 10% of the total iiours of the daily schedules in
using social media. Generally, "Social media" refers to web-based and mobile
technologies that people use to share information and ideas online (EPA). These
technologies help people in creating and sharing content in innovative and
interesting ways. Social media also provides many exciting possibilities for
government agencies to communicate and collaborate with the public. Social
media allows people to share new ways to use information which offer new
insights or ways to solve problems. There is no doubt that social media is one of
the biggest phenomena the world has seen in decades, with over 500 million
facebook users, and countless more on twitter, youtube and the blogosphere. This
emerging media is clearly connecting people and organizations from different
parts of the world within the same platform. People are more habituated to these
technologies than traditional newspapers, T.V. channels and radio as social media
provides uncountable valuable information related to different issues occurring in
different comers of the globe. A recent study claims that 73% of 12-17 year olds
are on social networking sites (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, Zickuhr 2010). There is
no doubt that there is a growing population of young adults that are ardent users
of social media platforms. Today, with Facebook or Twitter, youths today are
very much connected with each other and other global/local issues through the
internet. Gradually these are becoming the prior interest of the young generation
for fashion, music, events or entertainment; social media platforms are fast
replacing traditional communication channels such as televisions and radios. This
cant be said that this technology is popular only among the youths only but social
media platforms are also utilized by industry and government agencies as a
preferred tool of communication with the general public. These technologies
provide a big platform for network and have the potential to bridge diverse
opinions and perspectives, and ultimately bring in students that may have
traditionally felt alienated by past environmental efforts. Many researches
suggest that the future of activism and civic engagement is found online.
Education needs to reform with the changing social technologies, to best equip
students with the tools for proper digital literacy. Environmental education can
also be a part of this change, and grow from the affordances provided by digital
platforms. Thus the new media definitely presents a refreshing and flexible look
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at environmental issues which environmental education can benefit from which
can help provide insight into how to reach a wider audience with information that
concerns a global audience. Even if many students do not identify as
environmentalists, the issues range across disciplines and ultimately impact
diverse populations. A wider range of voices become a part of this global
conversation can help balance and develop current understandings of major
environmental issues. There is obviously a social component to environmental
issues, and these electronic networks can help create a more holistic
understanding. Today Hundreds of environmental blogs, forums are serving as
the very effective platform for millions of environmentalists, researchers,
students and people related to environment for sharing their information to each
other. Huge population of youths is making waves in the country with their
intense engagement with social media platforms. As one of the nation's major
assets or resource, the energy (time, interest and passion) in using social media
tools should be harness to evoke a positive impact for the country in general, and
in achieving sustainable development.! n Malaysia alone, there is an estimated
1.5 million Facebook users, making Malaysia ranked #19 in the world in terms of
highest number of FB users but the question of concern is that if these blogs and
forums helps by any means for environmental knowledge sharing or not or if yes
then how? In a study conducted by the Synovate Young Asians in 2009, their
results found that over 45% of Malaysian youth use the internet over other media
regularly. Synovate's latest annual Young Asians survey also found that 40% of
Malaysian youth used the Internet to keep them up-to-date while 43% said the
Internet gave them useful information.
Here the investigator would like to discuss specifically about
environmental related social networking sites not about twitter or facebook. For
the nature lovers Environmental blogs and forums are the typical social
networking sites. These sites provide the opportunity to share their valuable
thoughts and information in national and international level. Discussions on
environmental problems (regional, national and global) are common in these
forums and sometimes solutions measures are also added which help the society a
lot in finding new direction .Such forums can be categorized depending upon the
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users. As some of the blogs and forums are completely for environmental
scientists and researchers where only they can subscribe for knowledge
dissemination. Such forums also provide high quality research publications
published in national and international journals .The research publications
uploaded in these sites addresses regional and global environmental issues, status
and also some mitigation measures. Furthermore, those people related to
teaching and curricular development process of environmental subject can be
benefited highly through such related publications. Thus these forums help them
providing enough opportunity to know the reasons what is and why these
problems are rising day by day around the world. Another facility of asking
questions regarding different environmental issues seeking the appropriate
answer to solve their queries are available in such blogs. Thus these sites provide
ample scope for environmental knowledge delivery related to local and global
environmental problems.
The researcher here feels to use such blogs for the betterment of the
society instead of using facebook and twitter for announcing personal updating.
Different foreign environmental organizations are using such social blogs and
forums for knowledge delivery process which should be adopted in our country
also where regional environmental problems could be addressed. Social media
platforms have features such as timelines and the capacity to document (pictorial
representation) past, present and future environmental efforts, which helps the
user (social media user) to plan and arrange for engagements with a particular
environmental effort or cause. People should take opportunity in these great
learning platforms especially if there is growing interest among youths to start
their initiatives on the ground. Thus social media platforms become a good
reference or source of environmental advocacy efforts, globally and locally.
Some university lecturers are also resorting to using social media platforms to
garner more active participating from their students in a particular subject matter;
and Social media environmentalism is a new buzzword but one which is
spreading like wild fire on social media platforms. For environmental discussion.
Youths can readily set up a site or account which acts as an informal channel or
group that can help advance a particular cause or effort on the ground.
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