Still Watching From the Sidelines? The Case for Transformative Environmental Communication Scholarship

Abstract

Ecological crises such as climate change challenge ecosystems and societies. They also concern us as scholars of media and communication. We should not stand by and watch ecological disaster from the sidelines. This article calls for more transformative communication and media scholarship. This implies research, teaching, and public engagement about how to transform societies toward just socioecological transformations through preserving ecosystems and catering for the needs of current and future generations across the globe. We show how much is already being done, as well as how much more we could do as a discipline to not only become carbon neutral but leave a positive imprint on the way societies respond to ecological challenges.