COMM 3350U – Environmental Communication: Media and Tech for Sustainability

How do the images of and messages about the environment we are exposed to each day shape how we understand environmental topics and issues, ourselves, and our relationship to nature? Does our communications and media environment help or hinder environmental sustainability and the transition to a green future? This course explores the communication of the environment by a plurality of social actors: governments, politicians, companies, scientists, news organizations and journalists, PR firms, polls, entertainment and media creators, NGOs, social movements and citizens. Students learn about environmental public relations, journalism, advertising, pop culture, advocacy and public opinion. The media of climate change, climate science, resource extraction, energy, ecological risk, crisis, sustainability and adaptation, animals, water, food security, dystopia, and green technologies are explored with regard to normative theories of environmental communication and media technology for a socially just and sustainable planet.