Environmental risks, mass communications and ecological civilization

1. Kuo Viola Huang Ph.D candidate in International communication, Macquarie university Xiaodong Tou Post doctoral research fellow in environmental law, Macquarie university Environmental risks, mass communications and ecological civilization

2. This paper offers a study of functioning mass communications as educators, organizers and facilitators for adjustment of multiple interests over time in a 'sandwich age'. This study suggests a practical approach to mass media in adopting more interactive two-way communications to construct stakeholder participations and a vibrant public sphere to deal with environmental risks. Environmental risks have redivided interest groups in current society and the ecological civilization is the settlement in constructing a harmonious sustainable co-development. Abstract

3. Environmental risks, mass communication, ecological civilization, multi-interests, stakeholder participation Key words

4. The ‘sandwich’ age. Mass media are spontaneously relied as a tool for communicating towards solutions. Introduction

5. The existence of environmental risk—environmental problem Characteristics of environmental problems Characteristics of environmental risks Environmental risks in the context of globalization

6. Environmental risk is close related to multi-interest Media contribution to ER , Critique to tradition opinions The character of mass communication during Multi-interests adjustment

7. Civilization and media, environment Definition of EC tradition The other level of meaning Ecological civilization as the settlement

8. The environmental hazards “downsize” the human beings with their characteristics of unpredictability, incalculability, uncontrollability and irrestorability. Environmental risks mix up the boundaries of nation, region, race, organizations, individuals and time, and redivide the interest groups Conclusion

9. The loose and unsteady multi-interest groups compete but rather more reorganize to solve the enormous environmental hazards. Mass communications can work as educators, organizers and facilitators by adjusting multi-interests and adopting more interactive two-way communications, and they are the must for constructing stakeholder participation and vibrant public sphere to deal with the environmental risks.

10. Ecological civilization is not an optimistic ideological concept but the only possible settlement for all interest groups in facing the open-ended, ultimately irremediable large-scale environmental hazards. An ecological civilization includes two levels of meanings: The environmental risks and correlative responding activities are significant constitutions of modern civilization; Ecological systematic progress of civilization containing various interplayed interest-groups and can only be achieved by the harmonious sustainable co-development of all.

11. mass communications are responsible for inspiring more active, interactive, pragmatic and co-beneficial public actions towards a sustainable world of peace and justice, democracy, self-management, freedom and community.

12. Kuo Huang, Ph.D candidate in International Communication in Macquarie University, Lecturer in School of Communication in Heilongjiang University, China. Email: misshuangkuo@yahoo.com Xiaodong Tou, Visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Centre for Environmental Law in Macquarie University, Professor in College of Law and Politic Science in Wenzhou University, China. About the authors

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