Constantina Skanavis

Newspaper Reporters' Priorities and Beliefs About Environmental Journalism: An Application of Q-Methodology

This article assesses the variety of discourses articulated by journalists reporting on environmental issues. In particular, it investigates how environmental journalists perceive their role and function as reporters of environmental issues as well as the problems they face while reporting. The authors interviewed 23 newspaper reporters covering environmental issues for the nine largest (in terms of daily circulation) daily Greek newspapers, by employing Q-methodology, a qualitative statistical approach specially adjusted for small samples. The subsequent analysis reveals three “factors,” or distinct discourses, labeled “scientifically objective, environmentally responsible journalist,” “environmental crusaders,” and “objective-pure journalists.” By analyzing factors’ discourses, the authors concluded that these groups are highly similar to the “disseminator,” “interpreter/investigator,” and “populist mobilize” categories identified in previous research for journalists with different field orientations. However, the last category (“adversarial”) did not appear in our sample. The authors encourage the replication of this research study in other countries as an effective method of obtaining a broader understanding of the practices and impacts of environmental journalism at a global level.

Environmental Behavior and Gender: An Emerging Area of Concern for Environmental Education Research

Ecofeminism suggests that women are more active than men regarding environmental issues for a variety of social, cultural, and biological reasons. In support to these arguments, women predominate within the overall grassroots of the Environmental Justice movement. However, claims have been made that environmental education theory and research are overlooking gender differences in environmentalism. Although literature research reports that women show stronger environmental concern and attitudes than men and although there has been a growing awareness of the importance of gender in the willingness to act environmentally, we argue that there has been relatively little recognition of its potential in the context of environmentally responsible behavior. Finally, we suggest that by incorporating findings about gender differences in motivation, attitudes, and behaviors, Environmental Education would be in a position to inspire women from all race and class backgrounds to engage in effective ecological and political action.

The Potential of Free-Choice Learning for Environmental Participation in Greece.

Citizen participation in environmental decision‐making is of extreme importance in securing a good quality of life. Local communities know best what alternate solutions should be implemented for appropriate management of their area. This paper presents findings about the environmental characteristics of various Greek citizens’ groups, where respondents’ abilities and willingness to participate in environmental issues governance in relation to their free‐choice learning context was analyzed. The results indicate that participants desire access to an appropriate non‐formal/informal environmental education that will enable them to enhance their knowledge and acquire skills for critical thinking and active participation.

Free-choice learning suited to women’s participation needs in environmental decision-making processes

United Nations mandates recognize the need to promote the full participation of women in environmental decision-making processes on the basis of gender equality. But, there remains a profound lack of effective women’s participation in some sectors of environmental decision-making. Free-choice environmental learning offers an effective educational process for encouraging and developing such participation. This study outlines the shifts in and possibilities for women in environmental decision-making processes in and beyond Western and Northern contexts, and proposes free-choice learning as a pathway to furthering women’s participation.

A training model for environmental educators and interpreters employed in Greek protected areas and ecotourism settings

In Greece, environmental interpretation is in its infancy as an academic field. In particular, there are no nature guides or specific conservation objectives, and no professional training for non-formal environmental educators and/or interpreters. In view of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, this paper develops and recommends a training model for environmental educator/interpreter guides in protected areas and sensitive ecotourism settings in Greece. An investigation was undertaken into training programmes in developed and less developed ecotourism countries, where environmental interpretation is practiced in the sustainable management of sensitive areas. The proposed model is based mainly on interpretive training programmes of other developed and less developed countries. This model introduces the art of environmental interpretation as a form of non-formal environmental education, integrated in strategic communication in protected areas and sensitive ecotourism areas in Greece. The developed model takes into consideration the special social settings and biophysical environments of Greece. Moreover, a professional environmental interpreter group is recommended to support the role of management authorities in protected areas.

Environmental education potential for Greek ecotourism

This paper focuses on the total number of individuals running small ecotourism enterprises in areas of specific interest in Greece, and our objective was to explore the ways of measuring their awareness and characteristics in order to identify the requirements of specific environmental education programmes. A statistical analysis utilizing factor and reliability analysis revealed the environmental profile of the target group. The main factors extracted were: cooperation with environmental organization (governmental or non‐governmental); intention for union cooperation; the degree of environmental activism; an assessment of environmental needs; acceptance of financial responsibility; willingness to accept environmental education; environmental education influence; and hierarchy in environmental protection. The development of a specific environmental education programme to be offered to such people is of extreme importance due to their indirect role as environmental practitioners; often providing information about the local environment to visiting tourists. An appropriate environmental programme tailored to their assessed needs and characteristics is of extreme importance.

Assessment of Environmental Intention of Journalists

The main objective of environmental education (EE) is that citizens develop a responsible environmental behavior. Environmental awareness constitutes an important factor for the shaping of a responsible environmental behavior. The mass media can strengthen the degree of environmental awareness of the public, through the dissemination of environmental information. The present study, through the application of the Theory of Planned Behavior, presents assessment of the intention of journalists of the local media of Lesbos island to cover environmental issues.

World Summit on Sustainable Development: An environmental highlight or an environmental education letdown?

SUMMARY The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) met from 26 August to 4 September 2002, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its goal was to hold a 10-year review of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development and to reinvigorate global commitment to sustainable development. Main outcomes include the reaffirmation of sustainability as a basic worldwide need, the establishment of a World Solidarity Fund, the eradication of poverty and the agreement on particular attention to the needs of the African countries. However, there is also a great failure. It failed to address the issue of environmental education (EE). The need for implementation and support of the greatest tool, which can lead to action, i.e. the need for specific knowledge, was never stated. Issues of knowledge, access to information, critical thinking, evaluation, assessment, even dispute and doubt, i.e. components that make citizens actively participate in the environmental decision process, were not addressed. Delegates in Johannesburg managed to decide upon the need for reaction, without mentioning EE, the necessary prerequisite. 21,000 people discussed sustainability targets, but forgot to consider how we will reach them. One may think that EE was not discussed because it has already been successfully implemented; maybe the worldviews are that citizens do actively participate in environmental decision-making. Or perhaps we can still be so naïve, as to simply forget what we are talking about.

Sustainable development policies as indicators and pre-conditions for sustainability efforts at universities: Fact or fiction?

Purpose There is a widely held belief that sustainable development (SD) policies are essential for universities to successfully engage in matters related to sustainability, and are an indicator of the extent to which they are active in this field. This paper aims to examine the evidence which currently exists to support this assumption. It surveys a sample of universities in Brazil, Germany, Greece, Portugal, South Africa and the UK and the USA to ascertain the extent to which universities that are active in the field of sustainable development have formal policies on sustainable development, and whether such policies are a pre-condition for successful sustainability efforts. Design/methodology/approach The study involved 35 universities in seven countries (five universities respectively). A mixed-methods approach has been used, ranging from document analysis, website analysis, questionnaires and interviewing. Findings Although only 60 per cent of the sampled universities had a policy that specifically addressed SD, this cannot be regarded as an indicator that the remaining 40 per cent are not engaged with substantial actions that address SD. Indeed, all of the universities in the sample, regardless of the existence of a SD formal policy, demonstrated engagement with environmental sustainability policies or procedures in some form or another. This research has been limited by the availability and ability to procure information from the sampled universities. Despite this, it is one of the largest research efforts of this kind ever performed. Research limitations/implications This research has been limited by the availability and ability to procure information from the sampled universities. Practical implications The findings provide some valuable insights into the connections between SD policies on the one hand and the practice of sustainable development in higher education institutions on the other. Social implications Universities with SD policies can contribute to models of economic growth consistent with sustainable development. Originality/value The study is the one of the largest research efforts of this kind ever performed.

Sustainable tourism development: environmental education as a tool to fill the gap between theory and practice

Sustainability is introduced as the key to address contradictions between tourism policy development on one hand and environmental protection on the other. However, in the literature exists confusion on what sustainable tourism is all about, sustainable tourism policy has relatively little influence on the broad tourism market operation and research shows that tourism stakeholders have a confused understanding of the sustainable tourism concept. Furthermore, although tourism policy planning has followed a significant turn to participatory approaches towards the development of sustainable tourism, literature neglects a range of educational methods and strategies that already exist which could support effective education responses in order that tourism stakeholders can make informed environmental decisions about sustainable tourism development. This paper suggests that environmental education is the path in order that tourism stakeholders and local community obtain a stronger understanding of the complex issue of sustainable tourism and are empowered to engage in effective ecological action.