Please find pasted below Econnect Communication’s second newsletter. This newsletter is particularly focused on “sustainability”, and we would welcome your feedback and ideas.

 

As per our first newsletter, please feel free to send this edition of the newsletter to anyone else who might be interested, and who would like to be on our newsletter contact list. You are also welcome to use any of the material in the newsletter, as long as you acknowledge Econnect as the source.

 

Thanks to all those who provided feedback on our first newsletter, and for those who provided suggestions - we have tried to take these on-board in this edition.

 

With regards

The team at Econnect Communication (Jenni Metcalfe, Lin Martin, Louise Ralph, Michelle Riedlinger)

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CONTACT ECONNECT COMMUNICATION – phone 07 3846 7111; EMAIL admin@econnect.com.au; website: http://www.econnect.com.au. Econnect is committed to planning and delivering innovative and effective communication in the natural resource and environmental fields to ensure a sustainable future. We work with clients and their partners in an open, respectful and cooperative manner fulfilling our commitment to conservation and social justice.

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NEWSLETTER 2, 18 JULY 2001

Feel free to reproduce any of the following articles as long as you acknowledge Econnect as the source

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 “SUSTAINABILITY” – WHAT DOES IT MEAN? by Jenni Metcalfe

We seem to find the word “sustainability” everywhere these days – just look at any of the programs run by any natural resource management or research agency (for example five environmental and agricultural CRCs include the word in their title and I bet most of the rest also include it in their mission statements and/or goals). But what does the word mean? I believe that, like the mysterious word “love”, it means different things to different people.

 

Michael Hartmann from the Cattle Council has collected the following definitions:

 

FAO: “Systems that are ecologically benign, economically viable, and adequately productive”

Peter Garrett (1991): “Protection of the biosphere is a fundamental starting point so as to allow future generations a stake in their future by being able to draw on the same stored capital of energy and species, and genetic resources that the present generation has at its disposal.”

 

Butland Commission ‘Our Common Future’ (1997): “Ensuring the needs of the present are met, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

 

Standing Committee on Agriculture (1991): “The use of farming practices and systems which maintain or enhance the economic viability of agricultural production; the natural resource base; and other ecosystems, which are influenced by agricultural activities.”

 

Jonathan Porritt (2001): “Put simply sustainable development means living on this planet as if we intend to go on living here forever”

 

Dalai Lama: “We should live so we do the least harm”

 

Econnect has used the following definition in its communication about the Murray-Darling Basin “Landmark” project: “Dryland farming practices that will enable producers to make a good living and maintain healthy environments”.

 

What do you think “sustainability” means? We’d be interested in your ideas. However, we believe the important thing to remember in any communication about “sustainability” related issues is to seek to achieve a shared understanding of what is meant by the word so that the communication messages are as clear as possible.

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CHALLENGES FACING SUSTAINABILITY by Lin Martin

Through Econnect’s work and the research we’ve undertaken for a number of land management agencies over the last ten years, we are aware of many challenges facing sustainability. These challenges include:

* Lack of knowledge about human impacts on living systems and the interrelationships between living systems both on micro, macro and on global scales.

*Global economic growth based on the premise of increased production, increased consumption results in a better quality of life for all (or a few)

*Political time frames (3 year) versus ecological time frames (decades, sometimes hundreds of years)

*State versus federal boundaries. Natural Resource Management (NRM) is not bound by borders - bureaucracies, turf protecting, differing policies, lack of communication in government agencies all hinder a cohesive effort.

*Increasing responsibility put on local governments for NRM, often without the skills, or resource bases to tackle them holistically (with subsequent less resources allocated to state agencies)

*Non-coordination of community NRM efforts across catchments, regions, states

*Much work is being done by community groups, but is it of the highest priority? Community groups need strategic assistance for choosing priorities

*Lack of community skills and support. This has been recognised at all levels, but a reluctance by state/federal agencies to provide the money and training that Landcare, Catchment Management or other groups need in catchment management, communication, planning, conflict resolution

*Increasing rate of change versus human capacity/willingness to change. Communities have had to deal with many environmental policy changes in the last five years, and more are in planning

 

Any communication strategy based around sustainability goals needs to address these challenges.

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ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE: THE THIRD PERSON EFFECT, by Michelle Riedlinger

People often assume others are more readily influenced by communication campaigns and media messages than they are themselves. This influence is assumed to be greater on “them” and not on “you” or “me” and is referred to as The Third Person Effect.

 

It is important to keep this Third Person Effect in mind when assessing attitude and behaviour change in stakeholder and community groups. It influences everything from censorship regulations to health and environmental campaigns.

 

It is assumed that individuals can quite accurately determine how influenced they are by messages, but overestimate the influence that communication campaigns and messages have upon others.

 

However, in practice the reverse of this is true. Individuals are quite capable of assessing how influential messages are upon others but have difficulty assessing the extent of attitude or behaviour change on themselves. They often see their prior attitudes as reflecting their current attitudes and so underestimate the extent of influence that messages have had upon them.

 

This has some far-reaching implications for the assessment of the influence of communication and media campaigns on behaviour and attitude change. If it is not possible to assess the attitudes and behaviour of individuals before a program or campaign is conducted, it is important to ask stakeholders to assess what they perceive to be the attitude and behaviour change of others within their group or community as a result of the program/campaign.

 

This approach will provide a more accurate measure of the change that has occurred, not only in the group as a whole but with the individuals surveyed.

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NEW PUBLIC PARTICIPATION NETWORK IN BRISBANE By Louise Ralph

The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) was launched in Brisbane on June 19. The Australasian chapter of IAP2 was established to provide national and international networking opportunities, serve the learning needs of members and improve the image and practice of public participation in Australasia.

 

Project Manager for the Caloundra Downs Land Use Investigation Team, Dr Ron Black was guest speaker at the Brisbane launch. Over breakfast, Ron gave us an insight into innovative approaches to community consultation. Instead of spending substantial amounts of money on court cases during the planning process, the Caloundra Downs II project has channelled funds into involving the community at every level of the planning process. The approach promises a better outcome for all involved.

 

Visit the IAP2 website at www.iap2.org. For more information contact the IAP2 Australasian Chapter on twyford@twyford.com.au

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THE PANTANETO FORUM a new e-journal at www.pantaneto.co.uk

Issue Three Now Out: Michael Martin on Science Education; Fouad Abd-El-Khalick on "Active transport might work but Osmosis does not!"; Jenni Metcalfe & Toss Gascoigne on Media Skills Workshops; Magda Osman on Deception

 

The Pantaneto Forum aims to promote debate on how scientists are coping with the increasingly important role of science within society. The border area between philosophy and science is often neglected or worse still invaded by those whose agenda is suspect. As a result the public understanding of science is poorly served and reasoned debate is mired in rhetoric based on ignorance and even tyranny. A large part of the problem scientists have with the "Public Understanding of Science", is the "Scientist's Understanding of the Public". This covers not only communication with the media, government and other sections of the public, but also communication with other scientists.

 

The Pantaneto Forum appears quarterly. The Forum is multidisciplinary with submissions welcome from scientists as well as philosophers, political and social scientists, or anyone who feels they want to make a contribution. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EVENTS OR CONFERENCES COMING UP

·         Ideas at the Powerhouse, Brisbane, 16-19 August 2001, http://www.ideasatthepowerhouse.com.au

·         ScienceNOW! Melbourne, 23-26 August 2001, http://www.sciencenow.org.au

·         Interpretation Association of Australia 2001 National Conference, 3-7 September 2001, Alice Springs, http://home.vicnet.net.au/~interpoz/

·         National Conference of the Australian Science Communicators (ASC), 23-26 September 2001, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, http://www.asc.asn.au/

·         National Science Writers’ Festival, 18-21 October 2001, University of Queensland and SouthBank, Brisbane, Email: louise@econnect.com.au

·         Ecotourism Association of Australia Conference, Rottnest Island, 23-26 October 2001, www.ecotourism.org.au, Email: tony.charters@tq.com.au

·         Natural Resources Communicators Conference, National Museum, Canberra, 13-14 November 2001, Email Lawrie.Kirk@mdbc.gov.au

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