Communication and the Environment in the Age of the “Small Planet”

Abstract

This article explores the disjuncture between knowledge about environmental degradation and the social practices in which we engage, and analyzes some of the meanings that we produce/reproduce about the natural world as citizens of the so-called global village. The author shows how the dominant tendency of these understandings is to reinforce the complexity of our social practices, thereby further obfuscating the implications of our actions and making it all the more difficult for individuals to assume responsibility for our choices. And she argues that while contemporary technologies offer some “ambivalence” that allows for alternative practices, we must also recognize the ways in which our experiences in a high-tech world present particular challenges to mobilization on environmental issues.