Environmental Science in Media
Many people tend to get their information from popular online sources which generally do not provide scientific reasoning. When it comes to the environment biases and misinformation is abundant online. So when we make new findings relating to the environment, we need to know how to get our points across in a way for people to view and understand them. Non-scientific based research, that is shared online all share common formatting that we need to look out for in order to know if we can trust a source. If you are going to be so head-strung that something is not real then you better do your research. Especially the scientific research that is based on many trials and studies, with backing up evidence. The media and News we see online can be very manipulative, and choose to only focus on certain events. Most of the news and media barely even cover most of the environmental issues, and instead are more focused on catastrophic events happening right now. We know that although our past effects on the environment have already caused deadlier events related to weather, melted glaciers, and much more. Sense the changes are not that apparent, and with it not being documented as much people are not as concerned.
Green Washing and Deception
A popular thing for companies is to pretend as if they are environmentally friendly, and make claims making people assume they are, when in reality they are not. Just because a company claims to be environmentally friendly or is using a product that is “good” for the environment does not mean their product is still safe. You need to think about, Is this product still taking up landfills? How are the materials being gathered? How are they producing this product? Can I trust this company? These are just some of the questions you can ask yourself when trying to buy authentic green products. These companies also like to use very vague terms when it comes to what is in their product and whether it is environmentally friendly. Another big thing that companies do are Eco-friendly ads, there is a popular one with Subaru that shows the ecosystem and how bad plastics are for the environment, when it is promoting a car brand. Cars are big carbon dioxide producers that are very bad for the environment so this makes no sense. This is why so many people's views on the environment are skewed and they have trouble knowing what to believe in. With all of these ads they make it feel as if nature is just a resource and holds no true value. This is where we may ask questions like, Should we start being more strict on what companies portray? And even if we were to do that, how would we go about it? Would this cause chaos among the people and businesses? Obviously something needs to be done because the true science behind the environment is not being portrayed online or within the news. Instead we are having to watch these big businesses, claiming that they are environmentally friendly even though we know they are not. News outlets need to start showing the truth, and science behind the environment, and not just a tad bit of deadly environmental events that are happening here and there. So be careful which companies you trust, and where it is you are obtaining information. Take in the scientific evidence and watch for companies who claim things without evidence that you can trust.
What News Is Scientific?
It can be extremely difficult when going through sources to decide on what is scientific evidence, and what is just made up. Here are some ways you can come to the conclusion on whether a source is scientifically accurate. Most mainstream news sources are out, and usually just focus on one big major event happening in the world right now, and only briefly go over environmental concerns. When these news companies do go over environmental issues, generally they will frame it and just document the destruction without giving scientific evidence on why the event was so bad for the environment. Or what the consequences of some big devastation may lead to. The sustainability of our planet, and climate change has all become way too political for no reason. Because of this it has caused news sources to be extra careful with what they put out. But what they should be doing instead of adhering to their viewers is putting out the stone cold facts. Many news companies are sponsored and because of this will put out whatever their sponsor tells them to. “Sponsor activities, efforts by stakeholders to encourage journalists to frame the news story in a way that promotes or is beneficial to their interests” (Hendry, Page 217). Everything seems to monopolize around money and not the well being of our environment. That is why when looking at sources, check if it's sponsored, look into the author, see where they are getting their information from, and finally check and make sure their is scientific data backing up their claims.
Conclusion
So what I hope you can learn from this is to please pay attention to the sources and news that you are seeing online. Most things just run on money, and appealing to their sponsors and or viewers. Rather than looking into the scientific facts, and the huge climate change crisis we have been facing for many years. It all starts with us as individuals to take action and stand up for what is right. The united states was built for majority rule over minority, but by how things have been going its been more of the reverse. We can take action and make a difference, it just all starts with us. Look at trusted news articles and companies. Make sure what you're buying is actually Eco-friendly, and lets take a stand against these companies who are false advertising. Start shopping at farmers markets and local farms, who don’t use GMO’s and other bad things for the environment. Also attending protests and reaching out to legislators will always make a small impact. Our politics system is obviously broken and so is the internet with what is being put out there
References
Hendry, Judith. Communication and the Natural World. Strata Publishing, 2020.