Counterfeit Communities

The environmental movement is using the internet to mobilize communities and…should we say it, dance for donors ever more. But “ To what end?” has only begun to be explored. Good tackles this question and adds some interesting context to what has been observed as “Slacktivism”.
We have all received e-mail petitions or invitations to facebook groups which vie for our attention, even if all they need is a brief moment of acknowledgement. Sometimes we click the link to sign the petition, only to notice that we have to click more and read such and such. We may be at work, at a meeting, or just surfing at home – but something else like the phone ringing will distract our attention and then ‘zap’. The site is minimized and then lost in the shuffle with the rest of the web traffic. We may join a facebook invitation to ‘save the whales’ or challenge others to make a virtual vegetable garden. But what else is the internet offering us in way of making true strides towards respecting our planet?
Some excellent questions are raised about the communities we form to help create the change. Who is the internet reaching out to? Is their a correlation between those who use the internet for various activities, and a higher positive environmental attitude?

Of the findings of the research related to the article Internet Use and Environmental Attitudes: A Social Capital Approach by Jennifer Good, there are two things that stand out for me are:

1) Those who search for news on-line are apt to have less knowledge or empathy towards the environmental concerns of today.
2) Those with a higher recognition of the environmental consequences of today use the internet for environmental purposes.

First, it is interesting to note where the news is coming from. On-line ‘news’ in the traditional sense is essentially a mirror for what we see on TV. And the research that does exist on the content of that news remarks that environmental content caps at about 10%. There are many blogs that provide commentary on news, offering environmental slant. But what are we (internet users) really learning about environmental impacts beyond just the bold facts and questioning.
It is often that we hear of people traveling to developing nations, and coming back with this eye opening experience about the way ‘the rest of the world lives’. We often hear about the devastation, hunger, starvation may people across the world experience. We see it in block buster films, and on TV commercials for World Vision. Brangelina have a collection of children from different countries, all of which are ‘less fortunate’. But at the end of the day, do we elect our government based on their support to contribute .07% of the GDP as promised by many world leaders to Make Povery History. It seems that even for some of the most compassionate and respectful people, it isn’t until we see with our own two eyes that we are not truly affected.
Do we need to see the oil spilling into our own yards, or the ground rapidly melting beneath our feet to be truly affected?

The second item I mention above seems pretty obvious. Of course those with a higher awareness of environmental issues use the internet more for environmental purposes (or report they do). It is what those purposes are that interest me. For instance, I receive World Environment News on a daily basis. I read it. But it does little to make things seem more manageable to drop by jobs, get a sitter, and fight to get the green party elected so that we can expedite the development of renewable energy. As I mentioned at the start of this post - is signing the petition and forwarding that around able to make an impact?
Avaaz. Org is a prime example of mobilizing people with use of the internet. They show up with a mass petition from around the globe, and promise ‘stunts’ to show that their actions have teeth.
I signed there petition last time around, for something related to an international conference with government heads, and I completely forget what it was for… I think I made a difference though.

I agree with the article in the way it questions where we are allocating our social capital. Are we building relationships, trust and developing community to support us through the transitions we will have to make in the reality of climate change, increasing poverty etc. etc.??? Avaaz hasn’t offered to help me with a Community Energy Plan for Mount Pleasant. Neither has the Sierra Club. I know I will need to weave a different web, if I intend to put a new spin on the possibilities we can build for the future. But I will e-mail those in my hood to find a time to hold our monthly meeting.