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Academic Essay

The Rhetoric of Ecologically Conscious Policy

Abstract The political agendas in the United States tend to overshadow the necessary policy reform. One of these hidden subjects is the need to implement ecologically conscious policies that support sustainable energy projects. Although most are aware of the destruction humans have had on the earth, little is being done to combat this damage. Regardless, it is clear that human existence has affected the environment and that current political agendas do not coincide with effective environmentally conscious policies. In order to transform the effectiveness of policies related to the environment, the transformation of the system, narratives, and presentation must occur first. By recreating the informative practices of these policies, with the use of rhetoric, ecologically conscious legislation can overcome the political barriers that have stifled policy. Introduction

Political agendas have always dominated policy changes. Today fiscal budgets allot $7.3 billion on TSA, while only $3.2 billion is allocated for green energy development (Rausnitz; Tucker). If ecological rhetoric improves, then policy makers will properly understand green energy projects, and these technologies may receive more attention. Green energy projects get less attention because those involved with the report generation do not understand audience analysis and, therefore, do not reach their target audience. The world’s population is losing access to sustainable energy alternatives because the sustainable energy industry lacks well-articulated representatives. There is a connection between failed sustainable energy projects and a lack of articulation within the information reports provided to the public and to policy makers. The History of Ecorhetoric

Founded in 1915, The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is one of the earliest ecology-focused organizations. Following their establishment, the nonprofit began publishing the journal Ecology in 1920 (Seigel 389). Although the subject of ecology itself became an “established discipline” in the 1920s, the idea of ecology didn’t become popular until the 1930s. In the decade between, scientists were researching ecology, but the concept remained largely ignored by the public until massive dust storms and droughts began affecting populations of the Midwest and even east coast residents (Seigel 389). Increase in public speculation drove research into the causes of the dust storms,

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which ultimately identified overfarming, overlogging, and overgrazing as the key contributors (Seigel 392).

This idea of connecting human activity with potential environmental repercussions was new, and scientists, like those of the ESA, challenged previous perspectives by improving communication among ecologists and raising public awareness regarding the importance of ecological science (ESA).

Ecorhetoric in 2013

No one living in the twenty-first century is unaware of the looming environmental concerns related to energy and emissions—global warming, global cooling, and the destruction of natural resources like air and water; however, scientific progression is becoming more and more stifled by political intervention, and critical issues are hidden by less significant issues with greater political qualities (Tian 25). Shi Tian makes the argument that scientific agendas are being skewed by political agendas, which instead of making “politics more scientific” is making “science more political” (Tian 25). One critical issue currently constraining scientific development is the legislative practice of “external experts,” who may or may not be employed in the industry, typically voters or representatives of the government, passing or denying scientific policy (25). “External experts,” without backgrounds in sustainable energy, are failing to develop relevant policies because of their irrelevant background; instead of finding “new” policy makers, it may be more efficient to just better inform current ones because if legislators do not understand the ecological ramifications of ignoring certain policies, they won’t pass effective legislation.

The main result the political interference of the “expert” is that the benefits of science are lost, and policy makers and society both lose (25). Basically it’s a matter of “private interests” masquerading as public policy, and often these policies are poorly devised (25). Politicians are also known to “selectively” interpret scientific data with the intention of pushing their own political agendas (25). If more citizens understood the importance of ecological policy, it would be much easier to convince policy makers to pursue and pass ecological legislation; nonetheless, American citizens may be less scientifically informed than legislators.

Tian in “Ecological Economics” uses an argument by J. MacNeil asserting that

the government cannot be expected nor should be given the authority to create the system in which “informed decisions” regarding “environment and development” are established (Tian 26). Until now, policy makers have been expected to detect successful policy with little to no advice from scientists; nevertheless, the main concern is that the “system” is incorrect and that the contextual nature of that systematized viewpoint is inhibiting the progression of environmentally conscious laws (28). Based on this argument, the legislative process itself may need to endure change in order to support ecologically

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conscious policies. Another issue, recognized by Tian, is that the presentation of scientific research lacks compatibility with “necessary improvement” to legislation (28). Without effectively informing legislators of the most current scientific research, it is seemingly impossible for policy makers to make informed legislative decisions. The Competing Narratives of Ecorhetoric The ways in which policies become enacted, or do not become enacted, cannot be separated from the social perceptions of the constituents writing to and electing the representatives. In terms of environmental policies, the perspectives of many constituents are influenced by the media they consume, and Al Gore’s 2006 An Inconvenient Truth has, arguably, contributed the most to public perceptions. Thomas Rosteck and Thomas S. Frentz’s “Myth and Multiple Readings in Environmental Rhetoric: The Case of An Inconvenient Truth” dissects the success of this documentary meant to inspire its audience to enact environmental change and become ecologically conscious. The authors identified several narratives within AiT: the political jeremiad, the touching autobiography, and the scientific documentary (Rosteck and Frentz 4). However, each of these narratives presents conflicting premises, which may have contributed to the success of the film. By giving the audience a “story” to connect with, Gore was able to more adequately connect with the audience through a pathos appeal. Rosteck and Frentz argue that “with so much personal narrative,” AiT consists of much of “the story of Al Gore” (3). They argue that this rhetorical move is meant to build ethos with a “direct political consequence” in mind—as he is a former Vice President of the United States (3). Almost by direct comparison, AiT merges the events of global warming with the “autobiography” of Al Gore, which presents the audience with a “narrative form of personal transformation” by following a “hero myth” pattern of departure, initiation, and return (4).

These narrations are “the basic and essential genre for the characterization of human actions” and these “symbolic actions, words, and deeds” have “meaning” for those who “live, create and interpret” those stories (Fisher 375). Walter Fisher’s “Narration as a Human Communication Paradigm: The Case of Public Moral Argument” outlines the rational world paradigm, which assumes premises like “humans are essentially rational beings” and “rationality is determined by subject matter knowledge” (Fisher 378). Fisher’s arguments are based on a “new” paradigm, the “narrative paradigm,” in which individuals both intentionally and unintentionally make decisions based on past experiences and past stories (Fisher 384). These political agendas, through the usage of narratives, encourage voters to choose legislation based on similar experiences rather than rational necessity. The importance of these narratives related to ecology and green energy is that without well-articulated narratives that express the need to protect the environment, legislation will not be passed, and future generations, maybe

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even this generation, will suffer harsh consequences: lack of air, water, or food, an energy crisis, or perhaps intense climate change. Sustainable Energy Policies Rises in ecology research as well as increased speculation among citizens have prompted ecological legislation to be drafted; however, drafting does not equate to enacting, and many of these green energy bills fail to receive the attention deserved. The competing narratives of ecology have skewed public perceptions as well as public interest in supporting sustainable energy bills. An example of such a policy is The Public Lands and Renewable Energy Development Act of 2013. This bill addresses the current, outdated legislative barriers and restrictions constraining opportunities to implement wind and solar energy on public lands. If passed, this bill will work to “modernize, improve, and promote renewing energy” on federal lands (NWF). The secondary benefits, identified by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), of this bill include protecting wildlife, benefiting local economies, and battling climate change (NWF). The royalties from these wind and solar projects will be sent into wildlife conservation funding that will benefit individual states and the counties.

One of the most surprising qualities of this bill is the political affiliation of the 29 co-sponsors: fifteen represent the Democratic Party, and fourteen represent the Republican Party. The current American political system is regularly impeded by a lack of agreement between Democrats and Republicans, however, this policy enjoys significant support from both sides, yet the policy still remains ignored. The bill was initially introduced in 2012, but failed to receive the necessary attention in order to be passed. The sponsors of the bill hope that, this year, legislators and citizens will better understand the potential value of green energy and vote along with expanding and improving sustainable energy facilities (GovTrack). Organizations, like the NWF, have voiced their support of the bill and argue that, if executed properly, wind and solar energy “expansion” can complement the mission to protect public lands and wildlife (NWF). The NWF also recognizes that the development of sustainability projects are a “critical” segment of lowering carbon pollution and decreasing climate change effects on wildlife (NWF). By supporting legislation aimed at improving green energy practices, overall environmental awareness could increase and current resources could be salvaged. Potential Environmental Policy Reform

It is clear that in order to incite environmentally conscious legislation, the rational reasoning of such a need must be articulated. The goal of ecological economics is intended to give “intellectual background” of hypothesizes that determine policy (Tian 28). This idea of “ecological economics” has been acknowledged, but a connection between it and increasing the effectiveness of environmental policy has yet to be

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examined thoroughly (28). Historically, there have been two competing viewpoints of the management of environmental resources: one believing that resources on Earth are meant to be utilized by humans and one believing that humans are an unnatural disturbance to the Earth and that they have a responsibility to replenish resources (Killingsworth and Palmer 4). These two viewpoints, or narratives, are what policy makers and citizens consider during the endorsement of legislation.

Humans have always had an innate infatuation with the world around them and, for the last ninety years, as the negative effects of “large-scale” human activity on the environment have become better known, humans have become fairly aware of their role in the disruption of the “balance of nature” (Seigal 394; Killingsworth and Palmer 1). Due to this fact, legislation must be drafted in accordance with an acute awareness of the need to inspire an ecologically conscious pathos appeal in order to more efficiently connect with the audience (citizens) and to convince them of the need to value the environment itself.

In order to encourage environmental policy reform, the need to choose ecologically conscious legislation must be articulated to policy makers and voters. The main purposes of ecological economics are to advance scientific, political, and ethical issues (Tian 28). The ultimate goal is to convince voters and policy makers to choose legislation that benefits “social, economic, and ecological sustainability” (28). Another key necessity is the requirement that scientific results be provided to policy makers in a timely manner, ultimately, “empowers” these legislators because they will be more well-informed and be able to use the most innovative “peer-reviewed knowledge” to create helpful legislation for the latest problems (27).

The other barriers of passing environmentally conscious legislation are those that can only be remedied with the help of rhetoric. While some argue that green energy will raise energy process, and therefore, raise the price of all products that use such energy (food, clothes), others ague that energy costs will be higher initially, but that after trial periods, the price will drop lower than current costs (Morriss 4; Killingsworth and Palmer 2). The fact of the matter is that environmentally conscious policy development will be better for the environment as well as the citizens of that environment, so that is the narrative that must be mainly considered.

The other narrative that must be considered is the search for “absolute scientific truth” (Tian 24). Either way, it has become apparent that instead of searching for absolute scientific truth, it is more important to recognize the “limits of human knowledge” and a need to contextualize reality and manager “uncertainty” (24). Because research can never be certain, the usage of narratives is critical in order to create certainty by identifying stories and connecting with others. This connection will ultimately provide the platform for implementing positive environmental change.

Marika A. Seigel’s “One little fellow named Ecology” explores Kenneth Burke’s argument that efficient farming isn’t actually efficient if, in the long run, environmental

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destruction ensues (Seigel 395). Few solutions can be proposed due to competing ecological interests, which leaves policy makers divided simply based on politics rather than scientific arguments (Killingsworth and Palmer 4). But by presenting and considering the ethical, scientific, and political perspectives, a more comprehensive evaluation of ecological policies can occur. More so, successful ecological policy will be possible once inevitable human actions are considered (Tian 27). This new way of establishing policies would acknowledge “environmental limits” instead of the monetary or political value. The key to expanding awareness of the world’s population about environmental issues will be through the use of rhetoric, or simply the invention and comprehension of arguments that use logical, ethical, and emotion appeals with a call to action (Killingsworth and Palmer 1). Conclusion It is clear that human existence has affected the environment. It is also clear that current political agendas do not coincide with effective environmentally conscious policies. In order to transform the effectiveness of policies related to the environment and green energy legislation, the transformation of the system, narratives, and presentation must occur first. By recreating the informative practices of these policies, with the use of rhetoric, ecologically conscious legislation can overcome the political barriers that have, for so long, stifled policy.

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