Plastic Straws, Moronic Media Reporting and IEM

                           Image Source: The Vane 2015.

A holistic approach of IEM aims to confront complexities within human and environmental systems that interconnect. It is no easy task to define the various moving parts that are constantly changing. Calculating the changes within the economic, political, social, ecological and planetary systems is complex. If something changes at one point, what will happen at another? The question must be posed, what are the short and long-term effects, and how will those effects impact on other interconnected moving parts?

 

Buhrs (1995) highlights this complex process for IEM and explains the environment as being an invisible system that if one aspect is influenced, then feedback from the change feeds onto other components of the system. An IEM approach can include an array of techniques such as policy and planning adjustments, systemic risk assessments, and environmental impact assessments according to Buhrs. As we have seen in Aotearoa and other parts of the world, simple solutions to seemingly simple problems can lead to much larger more complex problems. For instance, in 1879, the New Zealand authorities introduced three species of mustelids into Aotearoa to control introduced rabbits that were destroying pastures for sheep. According to the Ministry of Primary Industries, the total cost for managing introduced pests to be $9.2 billion in 2019 – 2020.

 

The costs and complexities of pest management and wildlife protection is massive which sucks up time, energy and resources. Moreover, the environmental footprint of managing the pests has negative effects. In hindsight, it seems ridiculously obvious that the outcomes from introducing certain animals into Aotearoa would have had devastating effects. There were some folks on the fringes during this era that warned of such impacts, however, their advice wasn't headed.

 

An IEM approach for problems such as climate change is extremely complex and requires multifaceted processes to define and compute the multitude of interconnecting and changing human and non-human behaviours. Firstly, why is climate change framed as the problem? Surely this type of framing leads us away from the causes of climate change which is essentially a result of human behaviours. And more importantly, it is the economic ideals, legislation and policies promoted by governments and corporations that influence our beliefs, thinking, social norms and behaviours. Check out this Aljazeera report which explains how media messaging influences our how climate change is perceived.

In a recent interview via Democracy Now regarding a heat wave in England and Europe, George Monbiot expressed his frustrations with how environmental approaches were focused on micro-changes as opposed to macro-systemic change. He asserted that banning plastic straws and other tinkering for environmental improvement was ‘micro-consumerist bollocks’ in the sense that it sought to pacify society and, in many instances, distract and frustrate people for the need for high level systems changes to reduce or halt human induced climate change.

 

The covering over and minimising the seriousness of climate change by news media presenters was also commented on by Monbiot. He emphasized how a segment broadcasted by Great Brittan News in relation to the recent heatwave reminded him of the movie Don’t Look Up. This movie is a parody about the interplay between media, politics and human emotions and behaviours regarding a catastrophic existential threat. Monbiot was concerned with the dismissive moronic attitudes of media presenters and how their framing of extreme environmental threats stifles climate action. Moreover, Monbiot was doubtful that leading political identities would make concerted efforts to make necessary macro-systemic changes. And finally, that the type of government in power in England (Conservatives) would be more inclined to empower more destructive predatory forms of capitalism.

 

With this in mind, it seems that macro-systemic changes are required and for this to take place, an interplay between media reporting, public pressure and political willingness are what needs to be influenced to gain ground regarding climate change. While banning the use of plastic straws may seem important, such micro-system efforts may in fact lead to societal despair and failure of an IEM effort which then leads to a dead end.  

 

If you can think of solutions to these problems, please share them in the comment section below. Why continue on with business as usual, when alternative ways of doing things can serve us and the environment more effectively?

 

 

 

 

References

 

Buhrs, T. (1995). Integrated Environmental Management: Towards a framework for application. Environmental Management and Design Division, Lincoln University.

 

MPI. (2021). Economic costs of pest to New Zealand, 2020 Update. MPI Technical Paper. No: 2021/29.