This course examines the policies, players, and practices that are shaping how organizations and companies communicate on environmental issues. Heightened awareness of global warming, species extinction, habitat destruction, growing energy demand, and green marketing to consumers are all contributing to a new environmental era.  Today’s communication professionals need the knowledge and skills to help their organizations develop the messages, strategies, and tactics to influence audience views, change behaviors, and impact policy and public opinion. The course offers presentations and discussions with a range of environmental communication experts, who will share examples of advocacy, social marketing, event-oriented, grassroots, and media relations’ campaigns.  Students will research, report, and discuss such topics as:

§               How movies, films and music contribute to shaping public opinion on environmental issues;

§               How corporations market green messages;

§               How to launch consumer environmental campaigns;

§               How to deal with conflicts in citing new clean energy facilities;

§               How media coverage impacts policy and public opinion.  

A final group project allows student teams to develop communications strategies and plans for helping an organization or business of their choice to advance its environmental communications program.