Suchergebnisse

The chapter explores the often overlooked significance of citizen activism in advancing notions of corporate responsibility and shaping more sustainable energy policies and legislation at the regional, national and transnational level. This idea is developed with respect to the development of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the US and Europe. It shows how activists and protestors can play a central role in shifting public attitudes, changing the terms of debate, influencing political policy and shaping national legislation. While such anti-fracking movements may not always be successful, in parts of Europe particularly, they have helped shape national debates and policy outcomes around fracking. The chapter argues that in light of current warnings around the need to shift from fossil fuels to avoid catastrophic impacts of climate change that such protest movements are the only responsible response to corporate and government failures and can be seen as a driver of long-term progress towards a more sustainable and socially responsible energy sector.

An account of the 2016 CND march in London and the geographical political and emotional links to previous movements for peace and social justice.

The BBC's 'flagship' current affairs series Panorama backed away from reporting on the 9-11 attacks despite having a senior reporter with relevant expertise in the area. Subsequent coverage lacked investigative depth, recycled commonplace analogies with Hollywood films and drew unfounded links between the 9-11 leader Mohamed Atta and Iraq. This chapter examines Panorama's much criticised coverage of the September 11th attacks, drawing on textual analysis of archival material and interviews to revisit a disturbing chapter in British current affairs coverage. The chapter explores the journalistic practices which led to such a failure, including the role of the 'star' reporter, managerial interference, over-reliance on official sources and a culture of caution. It examines how Panorama failed to separate fact from fiction in its use of Hollywood imagery and intelligence services disinformation which contributed to a politically charged atmosphere of fear. It will also closely examine Panorama's claims about the subsequent anthrax attacks which have since been traced back to a US bio-weapons laboratory. These claims which tenuously linked Al Qaeda and foreign powers were staged in highly dramatic ways drawing on horror and science fiction tropes and marked a further blurring of boundaries between fact and fiction. Panorama's coverage, in this respect, was typical of the media's response to the 9-11 atrocities and their aftermath by amplifying fear, echoing official lines of inquiry and avoiding awkward questions, for instance, about the role of domestic agents in the, now all-but-forgotten, anthrax attacks. The many failures of Panorama's 'investigative journalism' of this critical episode in recent history proved extremely useful to the Bush and Blair governments. The chapter concludes by reviewing the lessons that can be learnt from Panorama's initial failure of nerve and subsequent failure to investigate.

The focus of the chapter is on disputes around corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the fossil fuel industry and how media and social networking technologies are deployed in a virtual war between oil corporations and dissident, activist and protest groups. The paper explores the PR record of two energy companies, BP and Shell, alongside public communications by various opponents including Greenpeace. It shows how a range of online messages play an increasingly important part in a wider 'PR war' designed to influence public opinion and government policy. This PR war often centres on contested notions of CSR and claims by the oil giants about their environmental impact, which opponents dismiss as 'greenwashing'. BP's CSR and reputation management is critically examined in relation to the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010, the subsequent public relations debacle and online campaigns by activists targeting the company's brand and CSR credentials. Shell's more recent CSR-related communications around oil exploration in the Arctic are also contrasted with Greenpeace's 'brandjacking' and social networking campaigns designed to discredit Shell's claims to being environmentally responsible. Finally, the chapter will turn to the less well-known public relations war between Shell and protestors over the Corrib gas pipeline and reprocessing plant in County Mayo, Ireland and the rapidly-evolving and sophisticated PR strategies deployed by both sides of the dispute. Communications by BP, Shell and their opponents in this far-reaching 'PR war' are compared including creative use of the internet, digital technologies and social media. For opponents of the fossil fuel industry this has enabled the linking of disparate communities and activists around the world. The chapter touches on the wide scope of protest methods used by campaigning groups but focuses on online campaigns, including the use of social media, the development of parody sites and low- or no-budget video which has allowed opponents of the oil industry to reach new audiences. However, such efforts have not gone unanswered and responses by Shell Oil, in particular, show how the public relations war has had uneven outcomes with no outright 'victor' emerging.

Sustainability has long been considered a key component of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This chapter provides an in-depth case study of a 'deep-green' business, exploring the strong environmental and sustainable values of UK energy firm Ecotricity and its director, founder and owner Dale Vince. The authors outline Ecotricity's growth to become one of the UK's largest green-energy providers and show how the company's success is built on a powerful commitment to sustainability and a set of interrelated, green 'activist' values. The chapter outlines key moments in Ecotricity's expansion, its unique business model, reputation in the market, political lobbying efforts, marketing, communication and social media strategies, as well as the underpinning philosophy informing the growth of the business.

SummaryThis paper reports the diffusion of knowledge of screening for a genetic disorder (Tay–Sachs disease) in two fairly well defined, urban, Jewish populations in the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas, and on some of the sociological variables which influence the diffusion. Differences between the two populations are shown.

This study sets out to investigate a contemporary example of lobbying, by enquiring as to whether lobbyists have successfully influenced state and national policy which furthered the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline since 2008. This involves an analysis of campaign contributions made to key federal candidates by organisations related to the pipeline. The results of this analysis, suggests that lobbyists have been highly successful in influencing policy which led to the completion of the pipeline. The data collected in this study, highlights lobbyists use of "natural allies" with "proximate objectives" (Hall and Deardoff 2006, p.69), creating a network of allies, to enable the completion of the pipeline. The study raises concerns over the nature of President Trump's relationship with the 'Energy Transfer Partners' CEO, Kelcy Warren. Campaign funding and apparent conflicts of interest at state and national level and their impact on the democratic process are explored, including whether President Trump's personal investments may have played a significant role in influencing his policy decisions concerning the pipeline. This study helps provide an insight into modern lobbying, revealing the power and influence money, through campaign finance, has in the democratic system.