Optimistic narrative future visions: a communication tool for promoting sustainable (plastic) behavior.

Plastic pollution is a pressing global issue, necessitating a focus on consumer behavior to curb this problem at its source. To effectively promote sustainable practices, communication strategies that employ future visions have gained attention. This study examines the effects of a narrative video intervention depicting an optimistic future vision concerning single-use plastic bag consumption in South Africa, compared to a representation of the prevailing status quo. Using a preregistered within-subject design, we assess the psychological and emotional responses to two scenarios of which one is illustrating adaptive behaviors toward reduced plastic bag usage, and the other showcasing current consumption patterns. Parametric analyses revealed a shift in emotional states, characterized by a greater experience of positive emotions and a reduced experience of negative emotions following the exposure to the optimistic future scenario video, as compared to the status quo video. Moreover, engagement with the optimistic future scenario was associated with higher levels of perceived behavioral control and behavioral intentions. No significant changes were found regarding sense of responsibility. These findings point to the potential of optimistic future visions to influence individuals at psychological and emotional levels. This renders optimistic future vision communication as an effective tool for sustainable behavior change, particularly in relation to the sustainable use of plastic shopping bags.

Seeing the funny side: Humor in pro-environmental communication.

Our review, drawing from various fields such as communication, psychology, marketing, and environmental studies, delves into the potential for humor in pro-environmental messaging to mobilize social change. The review examines different forms of humor, including satire, stand-up comedy, and scripted entertainment programming, and their impact on audience responses. We also highlight the possible drawbacks of using humor and factors that moderate its effects. Overall, the evidence paints a mixed picture whereby pro-environmental humor is largely successful in influencing proximal cognitive outcomes (attention, perceptions) but has more limited influence on distal outcomes (behavior) with the greatest benefits seen among low-interest groups. The need for more diverse samples and robust experimental designs is emphasized to fully comprehend the efficacy of humor in effecting environmental change.

Effects of information provision on willingness to pay for conservation of alpine plants in Japan.

Information provision is essential for obtaining the cooperation of the general public for the conservation of unfamiliar ecosystems towards a sustainable (e.g. carbon-neutral and nature-positive) society. The purpose of this study is to identify effective ways of raising public awareness for ecosystem conservation. We explored the interaction between the manner of information provision (i.e. the medium through which and how much information is provided) and the personal attributes (e.g. environmental attitude) of the recipients on their willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation using Japanese alpine plants as the subject. Discrete choice experiments using an online survey were conducted with public citizens aged 20-69 years across Japan, and data from 8457 respondents were analysed. The data analysis was performed in two steps: 1) estimating individual WTP and 2) exploring factors affecting WTP. The results demonstrated that individual WTP was 135,798 ± 82,840 (mean ± standard deviation) JPY per person for a lifetime. The WTP increased when information was provided in the form of short texts and graphics for those proactive about nature conservation, but increased more when video information was provided to those reactive about nature conservation. The study shows that ecosystem conservation groups need to adapt the amount and format of information for target audiences (e.g. Generation Z youth, who are more sustainability-oriented and prefer to accomplish more in less time).

A hidden curriculum for environmental topics in medical education: Impact on environmental knowledge and awareness of the students.

Objective: Climate change constitutes a major challenge. The higher education sector plays an important role in regard to climate change and the adaptation to its consequences. Various approaches toward the integration of environmental subject areas to higher education teaching have already been described in other studies, but there is a lack of data supporting the effectiveness of these approaches in changing not only the environmental knowledge of students, but also their awareness. To address this, the present study tracked whether student attitudes about the environment could be changed by implicitly addressing medically relevant environmental topics as part of an online seminar. Methods: Second semester students of molecular medicine attending a mandatory 14-hour online seminar, which was required to obtain additive key qualifications and which consisted of independent study phases as well as online class meetings, were divided into two groups: the intervention group (IG, n=27, thereof 20 in the pretest and 21 in the posttest) was exposed to medically relevant environmental topics, while the comparison group (CG, n=26, thereof 22 in the pretest and 21 in the posttest) was exposed to general, non-environmental medical topics. Surveys were conducted with standardized questionnaires before and after the seminar in order to study the influence on the students' environmental knowledge, awareness and other personal attitudes. Results: While the seminar did not significantly change the environmental awareness in either group, the environmental knowledge of the IG was significantly increased by the group's exposure to environmental topics. In addition, the IG assessed its own environmental awareness regarding sustainable working methods in a laboratory as significantly higher after the seminar than the CG did, and some students of the IG had become more interested in issues relating to sustainability. Conclusion: The approach used to communicate environmental content mainly increased the environmental knowledge of students and piqued the interest of some students in climate-related and environmental topics. However, it was not possible to change deeper personal attitudes about environmental awareness, especially everyday behavior.

Public perceptions of air pollution and associated health risks in Nevada, USA: applications for health communication.

BACKGROUND: We examine the extent to which acute and chronic health conditions motivate individuals to seek air quality information. We apply the theoretical elements of the Health Belief Model (HBM) to improve risk communication about ambient air pollution. We discuss the practical applications of HBM, in tandem with the principles of health communication, within an environmental health context. METHODS: We test the predictive power of selected components related to the HBM (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and cues to action) for intentions to seek information about ambient air quality. We surveyed 325 individuals throughout Nevada where poor air quality poses a risk for vulnerable populations. RESULTS: Ordinal logistic regression analyses showed that experiencing mucous membrane symptoms (eye itching, nose irritation, and dry throat/cough), perceived severity to future health threats, and having an at-risk member in the household positively and significantly predicted intentions to seek air quality information. Experiencing neuropsychological symptoms (fatigue, feeling heavy-headed, and nausea/dizziness), and having a cardiovascular or a respiratory condition did not have significant effects on reported intentions. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss how the results of this study can be integrated into health communication practices to increase public engagement with air quality information as a personal intervention measure.

Communication, socialization, and ITC. The psychosocial construction of sustainability.

Over the past two decades, the facets related to environmental crises (in the plural) have grown increasingly intricate. What began as environmentalists' apprehension over nature degradation and the encouragement of citizen-driven initiatives has evolved. The current shift in emphasis and prevailing message strives to foster a culture where citizens refrain from independent initiatives. Instead, the directive is to heed the guidance of the knowledgeable (scientists, politicians, corporations, interest groups, etc.), as substantiated by our investigative findings, which align, in part, with existing literature. Conversely, our exploration into environmental communication, notably the insights gleaned from longitudinal research concerning pro-environmental knowledge, attitudes, and actions, reveals a decline in citizens' effective inclinations toward embracing pro-environmental behaviors. Meanwhile, the escalation of the climate crisis is fueling heightened levels of echo-anxiety and solastalgia. This trajectory is closely intertwined with a growing global disillusionment within society - not just regarding the future - instilling a sense of disillusionment concerning pro-environmental messages and slogans disseminated by governing bodies and corporations. This has led to a state resembling learned helplessness, as articulated by Seligman, or what we prefer to term "induced" helplessness, rather than fostering conditions conducive to empowerment. This article comprehensively examines various reports and our inquiries, revealing how communication management and its constituents lie at the heart of forging novel narratives, fresh cognitive dissonances, and emerging social representations. Notably emphasized is the pivotal role played by information and communication technologies (ICT), particularly through dissemination on widely-used social networks. Since the 2010s, these platforms have assumed a paramount role in shaping socialization processes, surpassing educational institutions and conventional mass media.

Communicating ocean and human health connections: An agenda for research and practice.

The emergence of ocean and human health (OHH) science as a distinct scholarly discipline has led to increased research outputs from experts in both the natural and social sciences. Formal research on communication strategies, messaging, and campaigns related to OHH science remains limited despite its importance as part of the social processes that can make knowledge actionable. When utilized to communicate visible, local issues for targeting audiences, OHH themes hold the potential to motivate action in pursuit of solutions to environmental challenges, supplementing efforts to address large-scale, abstract, or politicized issues such as ocean acidification or climate change. Probing peer-reviewed literature from relevant areas of study, this review article outlines and reveals associations between society and the quality of coastal and marine ecosystems, as well as key themes, concepts, and findings in OHH science and environmental communication. Recommendations for future work concerning effective ocean and human health science communication are provided, creating a platform for innovative scholarship, evidence-based practice, and novel collaboration across disciplines.

Assessing the roles of stakeholders in community projects on environmental security and livelihood of impoverished rural society: A nongovernmental organization implementation strategy in focus.

The current study investigates how stakeholders' participation was used to improve environmental security and the livelihoods of the poor in rural community of Ethiopia. In particular, the study attempts to identify models of stakeholder participation and the factors that influence participation using qualitative methods. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions, organizational documents and observation used to collect the data. Thematic analysis of the data highlights consultation, collaboration, and partnership as key organizing constructs. The study offers a distinctive viewpoint on the literature and on rural community practice through the participation of stakeholders. We suggest nongovernmental organizations thoroughly utilize grassroots approach to gain acceptance, trust and sustainability of community projects.

Environmental issues hidden in medical education: What are the effects on students' environmental awareness and knowledge?

INTRODUCTION: Global warming is one of the major challenges faced by society. To raise students' awareness related to these issues, we embedded environmental learning goals in mandatory courses. The aim of this initiative was to determine whether the integration of environmental topics into a seminar focussing on non-environmental issues facilitates changes in the environmental knowledge and awareness of students. METHODS: Third-year molecular medicine students (intervention group, IG) were assigned short environment-related tasks in a not environment-related scientific writing seminar. Using standardized questionnaires before and after the seminar, students were assessed with a set of up to 48 questions relating to environmental affect, cognition, behavioral intention and knowledge as well as specific personal aspects. The comparison group (CG) consisted of third-year dentistry students who were assessed twice during an equivalent pre-post time period and who did not attend the seminar. The analysis was carried out with 15 students from the IG and 14 from the CG. RESULTS: Integrating environmental topics into a scientific writing seminar focussing on non-environmental issues led to a significantly increased level of awareness of the threats from climate change in the IG (p<0.05). No further significant changes in other areas of environmental awareness were observed in either group. In addition, the environmental knowledge of the IG students (p≤0.01) but not of the CG students (p=0.285) was significantly enhanced. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study shows that factual environmental knowledge on the issues addressed can be increased by a cautious approach of environmental communication. However, more deep-seated personal attitudes and environmental awareness cannot be sustainably changed using this low intervention dose.

Climax thinking on the coast: a focus group priming experiment with coastal property owners about climate adaptation.

Coastal communities face increasingly difficult decisions about responses to climate change. Armoring and defending the coast are being revealed as ineffective in terms of outcomes and cost, particularly in rural areas. Nature-based options include approaches that make space for coastal dynamism (e.g., through managed retreat) or leverage ecosystem services such as erosion control (e.g., by restoring coastal wetlands). Resistance can be strong to these alternatives to hard infrastructure. Nova Scotia, off Canada's Atlantic coast, is a vulnerable coastal jurisdiction facing such decisions. The emerging climax thinking framework was used to design 14 experimental online focus groups. These focus groups explored how three priming treatments influenced discussions about adaptation options and urgency and quantitative pre/post-tests, compared with information-only control treatments. A future-focused priming strategy seemed most effective since it fostered discussions about duties to future generations. The altruism-focused priming strategy involved reflections of wartime mobilization and more recent collective action. It also worked but was more difficult to implement and potentially higher risk. Past-focused priming was counterproductive. Further research should test the future-focused and altruism-focused strategies among larger groups and in different jurisdictions, reducing some of the biases in our sample.

Exploring common dialectical tensions constraining collaborative communication required for post-2020 conservation.

Contemporary conservation requires improved collaboration characterized by greater recognition and incorporation of multiple and diverse actors. Effective communication is central to this endeavour. However, the expression of concerns, perspectives, and the exchange of knowledge between actors and across multiple scales (i.e., collaborative communication), must navigate inevitable competing systems of meaning and motivation (i.e., dialectical tensions). Yet, a lack of understanding of how to improve collaborative communication within conservation interventions persists within the literature. Consequently, this paper reviews relevant literature to propose a framework that identifies common sources of dialectical tensions in collaborative conservation interventions that if managed effectively can improve required collaborative communication. The framework is then revised based on interviews conducted with 277 respondents in three African coastal-marine collaborative conservation interventions. Findings reinforce the effect of continued marginalization of certain actors' 'voices' within governance processes. More specifically, enabling collaborative communication requires managing several identified institutional-, agenda-, cultural-, and perception-based tensions. In particular, tensions emerging from formal-informal institutional interactions; gender-based exclusion; conflicting livelihood-ecological and economic-environmental agendas, and project-funder objectives; between indigenous/local-scientific knowledge and values; and perceived necessary-acceptable change. Furthermore, specific local-scale tensions identified included those associated with local-customary institutions; democratic-meritocratically elected local representatives; and exclusion based on cultural diversity. Consequently, these tensions require the 'co-creation' of communicative strategies amongst all actors to promote greater social equity that better aligns with local priorities to achieve 'positive' post-2020 ecological and social outcomes. Findings should be relevant to diverse conservation actors, and many others working within multi-stakeholder environmental interventions.

The impact of cigarette pack anti-littering messages.

OBJECTIVE: Tobacco butts are the most littered item worldwide and pose a critical environmental and public health hazard. Given the positive impact of required graphic warnings on smoking, we sought to assess the impact of a policy requiring cigarette pack anti-littering messages on smokers' littering intentions. METHODS: We randomly assigned US adult smokers (n = 719) to receive labels on the side of their cigarette packs for three weeks: anti-littering messages or messages about chemicals in cigarette smoke. RESULTS: Anti-littering messages elicited higher intentions to refrain from littering in the next month compared to chemical messages (p < .05). Anti-littering messages also led to increased knowledge about cigarette butts being the most common form of litter, the number of conversations about littering, and thinking about the proper disposal of cigarettes (all p < .05). Finally, smoking from packs labeled with anti-littering messages led to fewer weeks littering from car windows compared to packs labeled with chemical messages (p < .05), but did not affect completely refraining from littering cigarette butts. Mediators of the messages' impact on littering intentions were thinking about proper cigarette butt disposal and perceived message effectiveness (both p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Policies requiring anti-littering messages on cigarette packs would raise awareness about the problem of cigarette butt litter and bolster intentions to not litter.

Breaking Green Ceilings: podcasting for environmental and social change.

Podcasting is considered to be a communication medium with minimal barriers to entry, making it an attractive method for people, especially from historically underrepresented communities, to tell their own stories. Using the "Breaking Green Ceilings" podcast as a case study, we explore how podcasting serves as an ideal approach to effectively amplify the voices of environmentalists from historically underrepresented communities, specifically Disabled, Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. By sharing these stories, the podcast aims to challenge misconceptions and highlight the contributions that environmentalists from historically underrepresented communities make toward environmental sustainability at all levels-grassroots, academia, nonprofit, and government. The "Breaking Green Ceilings" podcast also helps address the lack of diversity in mainstream environmental media and organizations. We use an interdisciplinary, intersectional lens in this article to demonstrate how environmental issues are interconnected with race, religion, socio-economic status, and politics as relates to historically underrepresented communities. We explore four main themes that have emerged on the podcast: environmental justice, structural racism and conservation, traditional ecological knowledge, and access to nature and the outdoors. Finally, strategies are provided to show how the podcast goes beyond the airwaves to build an inclusive community, raising awareness on the issues discussed and moving people to action to undo and unlearn some of the harmful practices and attitudes that have divided the environmental movement for decades. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13412-021-00723-z.

Fostering climate change consensus: The role of intimacy in group discussions.

This study examined if creating intimacy in a group discussion is more effective toward reaching consensus about climate change than a focus on information. Participants were randomly assigned to either a group that spent the first part of an online discussion engaging in self-disclosure and focusing on shared values (intimacy condition) or discussing information from an article about climate change (information condition). Afterward, all groups were given the same instructions to try to come to group consensus on their opinions about climate change. Participants in the intimacy condition had higher ratings of social cohesion, group attraction, task interdependence, and collective engagement and lower ratings of ostracism than the information condition. Intimacy groups were more likely to reach consensus, with ostracism and the emotional tone of discussion mediating this effect. Participants were more likely to change their opinion to reflect that climate change is real in the intimacy than information condition.

Disruptive Communication as a Means to Engage Children in Solving Environmental Challenges: A Case Study on Plastic Pollution.

Environmental degradation and how we care for our planet are some of the greatest challenges the world is up against at this moment. These challenges has received increased focus in both, research and the public sphere. So far, most of this attention revolved around adult's attitudes and behavior. However, environmental engagement amongst the younger generation gains in popularity. Using plastic pollution as a case, this qualitative study aims to acquire insights into the mental models of children. We collected qualitative data during an innovative, structured workshop according to the "Nature In Your Face" (NIYF) framework. The approach challenges the assumption that the societal change can be achieved gradually, with non-invasive techniques. Instead, we explore the potential of disruption to push citizens out of their comfort zone, thereby making room for co-creation. The disruption was performed by confronting 36 fifth graders from a Norwegian primary school, with disturbing images of plastic contaminating their local shorelines. The data was obtained by using the workshop framework, combined with semi-structured group interviews. The interview data was analyzed by means of thematic analysis. We found that the disruptions triggered emotional reactions like anger and fear. With these emotions as a driving force, the first workshop step was introduced, the Framing of the problem. The next step, Twisting the problem, was reflected in the children developing their own, creative solutions and creatively engaged with them in groups. The last step, Using, was only touched upon in the workshop and is therefore beyond the scope of this paper. Our results indicate that there are three prominent themes reflecting how children discuss plastic pollution. The children talked about their (1) Emotions related to plastic pollution, (2) Attitudes related to plastic, and (3) Perceptions of plastic pollution. These themes were further subdivided into different types of emotions, characteristics of plastic as a material as well as perceptions on different locations of unnecessary plastic. Psychologically, the mechanisms underlying the identified themes were linked to eco-anxiety, denial, self-efficacy, and cognitive dissonance. We conclude that disruptive eco-visualization can create an emotional response amongst children, which can be transformed into co-creation of ideas.

Knowledge mapping analysis of international research on environmental communication using bibliometrics.

Environmental communication (EC) is of great significance to the practice of environmental protection by human society, as it involves disseminating ecological and environmental information, communicating environmental risks, and increasing environmental awareness among the audience. In this study, knowledge mapping analysis was used to systematically review research in the field of EC. A scientometric analysis (1900-2020) was carried out on 2219 journal articles obtained from the Web of Science database to explore the basic characteristics, research hotspots, and research frontiers of EC research. The results revealed that: (1) Research on EC received widespread attention since the beginning of the 21st century, and 2010 was an important turning point in the study of EC. EC research shows the trend of interdisciplinary development. (2) Well-known universities in western countries and from around the world constitute the main body of current EC research. However, there is still a lack of international cooperation in the field of EC research. (3) Climate change, as a complex scientific issue, is not only a global environmental issue, but also the most concerned and hot issue in the field of EC. It has a strong political attribute and has become a major issue that cannot be ignored in politics. (4) According to the timeline analysis of research hotspots, EC research was innovatively divided into an initial stage, a development stage, and a rising stage. Combined the keyword bursts result with the research hotspots analysis, the research frontier of EC was divided into four periods. Finally, the shortcomings of this study are summarized and directions for future research of EC are proposed by considering the following four aspects: research perspective, research content, research paradigm and method, and research context.

The coverage of environmental issues in FM radios in Nepal: the current status and challenges.

Radio stations particularly those of local FM have an influential role in disseminating environmental concerns among the wide populace. This study provides the first nationwide assessment of FM radio coverage of environmental issues in Nepal by using data collected from a web-based questionnaire survey from 102 radio stations. We found that environmental programs were covered in 57% of radio stations, but they were among the least popular ones. Among various categories of environmental programs, the general category was the most common and popular, followed by forest and wildlife conservation and water resource management. Surprisingly, environmental pollution and disaster risk management were ranked as being less popular in comparison to their coverage. Environmental programs were mostly broadcasted weekly (73%) during prime time (morning and evening). Although there were agreements among respondents on the importance of environment program for radio stations (agreement = 0.74), nearly 22% of all radio stations terminated such programs in the past and only a few of them were interested to relaunch them in the foreseeable future. Limited funding was the most reported challenge followed by difficulty in finding environmental experts and radio journalists. We recommend the Government of Nepal to formulate a media engagement strategy to strengthen environmental campaigns in the face of rapid environmental change in Nepal.

How to Communicate Food Safety after Radiological Contamination: The Effectiveness of Numerical and Narrative News Messages.

Food risk and the safety of foodstuffs in the aftermath of contamination are highly sensitive issues to communicate. Food risks receive extensive attention from the news media, which requires messages to be carefully drafted to minimize harm and avoid unnecessary boycotts. Once a food risk is deemed eliminated, communication efforts must rebuild trust among consumers. The latter is a particularly difficult task after radiological contamination. This study tests whether numerical messages, narrative messages, or messages combining both elements are more effective in persuading the public to consume foodstuffs from Fukushima, a region that continues to battle stigma since the nuclear accident in 2011. We employ a survey-embedded experiment on a sample of the general Belgian population (N = 1085), during which respondents are presented with a mock news article presenting either a (1) numerical, (2) narrative, or (3) a combined message and test their subsequent evaluation of the article. We find that the numerical message leads to significantly higher perceived credibility and message acceptance than both the combined and the narrative message. Furthermore, we find that attitudes towards nuclear energy have a strong independent effect on message acceptance and evaluation, with those respondents who report a more positive stance towards nuclear energy more readily accepting the message. Food risk and safety communication may thus benefit from adopting a more detached, numerical approach for sensitive issues.

Medio Ambiente y Comunicación: una mirada de la producción científica en América Latina / Meio ambiente e Comunicação: um olhar sobre a produção científica na América Latina / Environment and Communication: an overview at scientific production in Latin America

El artículo es parte de un estudio más amplio, que tuvo como objetivo mapear la producción académica en el campo de la divulgación científica en América Latina, en particular, artículos publicados en revistas académicas revisada por pares. La recopilación del material fue realizada en un período de seis meses, entre marzo y septiembre de 2016, pero se refirió a todos los artículos identificados desde la década de 1980. La búsqueda se realizó en revistas académicas latinoamericanas y de otras regiones del mundo que publican artículos relativos al campo académico. En este estudio, analizamos específicamente los artículos relacionados al medio ambiente y su comunicación. Los resultados muestran que la producción académica en la región tiene poco más de 20 años. La mayoría de los artículos se han publicado en revistas brasileñas (62%). Gran parte (92%) del aporte a la investigación y el conocimiento en este campo proviene de Brasil y México. Un tercio de los artículos publicados se refieren a museos y centros de ciencia, destacando el papel educativo que estos espacios tienen para los temas ambientales. Se discute la importancia de impulsar una mayor investigación colaborativa y cruce con otras disciplinas en temas ambientales en la región.

Este artigo faz parte de um estudo mais amplo que visou mapear a produção acadêmica no campo da divulgação científica na América Latina, em particular artigos publicados em periódicos científicos revisado por pares. A coleta do material foi realizada em um período de seis meses, entre março e setembro de 2016, mas se referiu a todos os artigos identificados, portanto, desde a década de 1980. A busca foi realizada em revistas acadêmicas da América Latina e de outras regiões do mundo que publicam artigos na área. Neste trabalho, analisamos especificamente os artigos relacionados à divulgação científica e meio ambiente. Os resultados mostram que a produção acadêmica na região tem pouco mais de 20 anos. A maioria dos artigos foi publicada em revistas brasileiras (62%). Grande parte (92%) da contribuição para pesquisa e conhecimento nesse campo vem do Brasil e México. Cerca de um terço dos artigos publicados referemse a museus e centros de ciências, destacando o papel educacional que esses espaços têm para questões ambientais. É discutida a importância de promover maior pesquisa colaborativa e que envolvam outras disciplinas sobre questões ambientais na região.

This article is part of a wider study, which had the objective of mapping the academic production in the field of science communication in Latin America, in particular articles published in peer-reviewed journals. The collection of material was carried out over a period of six months, between March and September 2016, but it has referred to all articles identified, therefore, since the 1980s. The search was carried out in Latin American academic journals and others regions of the world that publish articles in the area. In this study, we specifically analyze the articles related to the environment and its communication. The results show that academic production in the region is just over 20 years old. Most of the articles has been published in Brazilian journals (62%). A large part (92%) of the contribution to research and knowledge in this field comes from Brazil and Mexico. About one third of the articles published are related to science centers and museums, highlighting the educational role these spaces have for environmental issues. The importance of promoting greater collaborative research, crossing with other disciplines on environmental issues in the region is discussed.