WRITING ASSIGN 5

Richard Bell

In Chapter 8 of communicating nature I was particularly fond of the section on how the media chooses news stories. On page 223 it reads “news is a socially created product and not a reflection of objective reality.” I find it interesting how the news is supposed to appeal to the dominant culture, yet blinds that dominant culture to issues not reported. Since many news stories are influenced by money or by the most shocking statistics, environmental issues have taken a back seat. Even when environmental news is reported, there is a trend to present a two-sided story. I think it’s unfair to still have to present global warming as a topic that is up for debate. This method of presentation alludes to an uncertainty of the peril that the earth is in, despite there being significant data suggesting otherwise. News outlets need to present the facts and data of environmental issues and offer solutions that allow concerned viewers to take action.

Gary Snyder talks about winning hearts and minds of people through peace. He says that bioregional ideas have shifted and that people are learning and staying in “their place.” He says that the understanding of different ecosystems and improvement of environmental knowledge is very important for the people of any region.  My favorite idea of his is the idea of “home based knowledge,” where you combine local knowledge to extrapolate an understanding of the world as a whole. I like this idea because it encourages local understanding which breeds culpability and responsibility for local problems and does not outsource the worries to wage-based citizens.