The exponential increase of global mass production and consumerism has led to numerous after effects that have begun to impede the health of humans, wildlife, and the environment. This include polluting the air we breathe, destroying the habitats of animals, and exploiting earth’s finite resources. A variety of corporations are attempting to address these issues by implementing solutions that will give them an economic advantage over competitors. Similarly, writers are also addressing these issues by discussing how media plays an enormous role in shaping the public views on these environmental problems. In the article titled “Institutional Pressure and Waste Reduction: The Role of Investments in Waste Reduction Resources”, author Dayna Simpson discusses the growing external pressures on firms to reduce waste from industrial production. She also provides examples of the competitive advantages of waste reduction. Likewise, author David Soll discusses how modern day “green media” is affecting humans attitudes about the environment in the article “Race and the New Green Media: Lessons from Environmental History”. Both authors direct attention to the impact excess waste and the media has on environmental issues by using specific writing conventions under their literary disciplines, economics and media studies. Each author further advances their beliefs by appealing to targeted audiences and using specific tone to discuss these issues.
Author Dayna Simpson expresses concerns about increased waste as the mass production of goods significantly increases. Under the discipline of economics, she discusses the growing external pressures on firms to reduce waste while also providing examples of the competitive advantages of waste reduction. Because companies are concerned with maximizing the greatest profit, she details the benefits of cost cutting procedures as “Effective waste reduction can lower cost for firms, reduce their pollution, improve their share price and provide greater resource security” (Simpson, 330). By reducing the amount of waste produced, businesses obtain the greatest profit that works as an incentive to further eliminate unnecessary waste produced. Not only will they further their economic growth, but will contribute to reducing the hazards placed on the environment, particularly involving the depletion of natural resources. Using fewer resources in the production of goods creates less amount of waste and helps eliminate a future of hazardous and persistent waste.
Simpson also uses repetition throughout the article to emphasize a firm's tendency to respond to pressures from external forces. She continuously mentions a company's desire, “… to meet their institutional requirements…” in response to “Pressure from stakeholders and customers” to convey the significance of outside demand towards more environmentally friendly procedures (Simpson 331-332). (More analyzation) Businesses that are doubtful of changing waste practices are shown that many prosperous organizations “…owe many of their decisions to the pressures applied by their peers, customers and external agencies responsible for their ongoing legitimacy.” (Simpson, 332). The impact of public opinion can strongly influence the production methods of companies by forcing them to base their policies on societies general opinion. Corporations that do this will have continued support from the public as they respond to the needs of the country.
In comparison, author David Soll uses writing devices to understand the direct connection between the public and media, which is evaluated under the discipline media studies. He promotes the idea that media plays a huge role in people’s perception of environmental issues, especially those involving race. Soll asks many questions in the article that is intended to guide readers towards recognizing issues regarding the role of media. For example, “Where were the racially balanced ads that we have come to expect from American companies?”and “Why assign the media the task of raising our collective environmental consciousness?” (Soll, 261-262). Media determines what is portrayed in news outlets and often excludes specific aspects of an issue so it can manipulate audiences to believe a specific side. Rather than understanding the importance of the public gathering their own opinions about environmental issues, media instead warps issues to be portrayed to their desires. Soll observes that many ads are racially biased towards the white population, excluding millions of minorities who are equally and/or more vigorously affected by environmental issues which he discusses later on in the article .. Why should media dictate how we view environmental issues? (more analyzation)
Soll also uses specific diction throughout the text to criticize media for its wrongful portrayal of environmental issues. Environmentalism is a movement aimed at protecting the natural world and educating the public about sustainable methods, yet media has distorted this message and geared it towards those who are “lily white” (Soll, 261). Soll’s use of these two words brings attention to one of the biggest issues of modern day environmentalism- it is a movement geared towards white people. “lily white”, refers to the skin color of people who are often portrayed in media as an example for being environmentally aware among groups, and almost always excludes those of color. He uses these two words to promote the idea that a movement aimed at protecting the planet’s well being is just hiding behind the notion that only a certain race can be allowed to participate. He emphasises the word “white” throughout the article, such as when he describes “white people”, “white man”, “white invaders”(Soll, 261-263). Soll argues that the environmentalist movement has largely excluded people of color- who are more likely to be affected by the negative impacts of climate change. They face numerous insecurities, such a food, water, and clean air availability, that is exacerbated by the ongoing effects of global warming. Yet these issues that are key determinants in the health of minority groups are often not represented in media. He is able to highlight the enormity of issues like systemic racism by using the word “white” that parallels the relentless impact white culture has on people of color and how media portrays them.
Despite writing from different disciplines, both authors use similar organizational skills throughout the articles. In Dayna Simpson’s article, she uses multiple headings and subheadings to detail specific issues regarding waste reduction, for example: “Regulatory Pressures”, “Customer Pressures”, and “Waste Reduction and Performance”(Simpson, 331-332). She address these topics because companies abilities to transition to more sustainable practices is typically based on public outcry. Using subheadings gives her the opportunity to speak about these points in detail that may have other wise been glazed over in the whole text. (More analyzation). Simpson also uses statistics and visuals of data to present big businesses evidence of reduced waste production benefits based on numerous survey factors such as “firm size”, “industry”, “disposal cost pressures”, etc under the subheading “Methodology” (Simpson, 336). Visuals of data appeal to corporations because they can see evidence of effective waste reduction lined up in a graph that is easy to understand. This gives them more of an incentive to reduce waste (More analyzation) She is able to provide statistical data in an effort to persuade the opinions of corporations.
Likewise, David Soll uses similar organizational techniques, using headings to talk about particular points and draw attention to issues regarding the media. The headings, “Seeing the Forest for the Trees, the Garden, and the City: Environmental Historians and Activists Try a New Approach”(Soll 263) and “The Media Goes Green (and White)”( Soll, 267) are both used to praise and criticize media’s role in environmental movement. While Soll initially praises the environmental movement for creating “pristine national parks”, he becomes critical of environmentalist for having “downgraded all landscapes that did not qualify as wild” (Soll, 265)He mentions how environmental justice advocate William Cronon questions mainstream environmentalism because humans have always altered places and to reject that is to “discount the lived experiences of native peoples.” (Soll, 265) Soll recognizes that environmentalist are excluding native people who inhabited the area first, because they ultimately get in the way of the illusion that they are “seeing their nation in its pristine, original state,”. The concept of wilderness is a myth perpetuated by white culture to segregate people of color from land that is their “God’s own creation” (Soll, 265) There is no room for those who tarnish this image. He uses this technique again with the second subheading when he acknowledges mainstream media’s eager embrace of the environmental movement that also encourages people to make changes within their lives. However, they still ultimately exclude groups of people who do not fit the environmental profile of being “lily white”. Soll’s use of headings draw close attention to issues that are overlooked within the environmental movement, but should be addressed if it is going to enact any real change in the world.
Both articles address environmental issues by bringing awareness to the severity of consequences that will entail from the these continuing issues. issues as they affect numerous parts of the world. The importance of bringing awareness to many to change their unsustainable practice, the particular tone each author applies to the text vary due to different targeted audiences. At the start of the article, Soll begins by recounting a short article he read with“The tagline for GreenSingles.com was straightforward: Find Love & Save the Planet!” (Soll, 260). He employs the use of a humorous anecdote to introduce the issues he examines later in the text. Yet directly after, he mentions the use of a “…white couple that graced the ad. The interplay between environmentally themed advertisements and news coverage…” which he elaborates on a couple sentences later by stating “These white people were doing all they could to save the environment…Where were the racially balanced ads that we have come to expect from American companies?” (Soll, 260-261). Soll’s immediate change from a humorous to more serious tonal voice was strategically done to grasp the reader’s interest. He wanted to light heartedly introduce a serious topic that is unjustly affecting the lives of many minority groups. Simpson, on the other hand, maintains an informative tone throughout the entire piece. She immediately begins with an introduction that aimed to directly inform the reader about the article’s topic that “Growing resource costs, stricter waste control and disposal laws and higher disposal cost have encouraged firms to search for waste reduction opportunities” (Simpson, 330). She maintains this informative tone, hoping to appeal to big corporations desires to understand the competitive advantage they would have over competitors if they participated in reducing waste. The strategies both authors use to apply tone are vastly different from one another due to contracting disciplines and audience members. Soll is appealing to audiences more concerned with social issues and how the degradation of the environment affects human well being whereas Simpson was appealing to businesses who were only concerned with maximizing profit.
Authors Dayna Simpson and David Soll each try to bring awareness to environmental issues that have come to negatively impact humans and the environment. Because they are researching and writing from two distinct academic disciplines, both author follow different discipline specific approaches to persuade readers opinions. Due to Simpson approaching environmental issues through the lens of economics, she utilizes statistics and facts to convince corporations to reduce waste because of financial and competitive advantages. Soll instead connects with readers who are more interested in social issues regarding human rights within the environment. Through the lens of media studies, he can interact with readers in a more playful way, yet still inform about a serious issue. Despite these distinctions, both authors impressively captivate readers by appealing to their specific interest so they can understand the purpose of the articles.