Corporate Power and Global Media

In considering the lack of media attention regarding environmental issues it is important to be aware of corporate power and the role of the global media. The text, along with the film, ‘Manufacturing Consent’, specifically referring to the Propaganda Model, demonstrates the control that the mass media maintains over the core culture particularly the media’s capacity to exploit the environment “privately” while publically demonstrating concern, an act sometimes referred to as “green washing”. I found the article presented by Tasha and Adam not only further explained this reality, but expressed the importance of the relationship between individuals and the media and their ability to act individually. There is a severe lack of accountability on the behalf of corporations for the environmental and human exploitation that occurs on a daily basis. Clearly if we totally rely on corporate and government owned media to report with integrity on the issues we will be nothing short of bulldozed. What we need to take with grave seriousness is that human beings have a serious responsibility to rigorously seek information and increase their knowledge in order to act accordingly. Referring to corporate power and the role of the media in the sense that the text does, grants too much power to the media. We need to face the reality that even up against the ruthless power grab of corporations and corporate media we cannot despairingly throw our hands in the air despite the implication that human beings and their individual acts cannot make a difference.

Imperialism and Ecological Violence

Ecological Marxist James O’Connor argues “capitalism undermines the factors that sustain it, such as human labour and the environment.” (32) Simon’s lecture on Imperialism and ecological violence reinforced ecological Marxist notions, the exploitation of humans and the environment to increase capital gain. Simon discussed the notion that under capitalist regime money becomes the dominant criteria of worth. Thus, capital determines value. The negative impacts of this are illustrated in the resulting human crisis, as discussed by Simon, whereby human beings are working harder and for longer, and in the ecological violence that occurs on a global scale. Neither humans, nor the environment are given a chance to replenish and rejuvenate, as the demand for ever-increasing production and consumption will not allow it. Imperial relations in third world countries have allowed the West to capitalize on resources and cheap human labour to expand and increase production and consumption. Simon’s discussion of his work in the rose industry in India illustrates the way in which capitalism is undervaluing the parts that sustain it. The growth of roses in a dry region demand a significant amount of water – this will create future problems in the region as the water supply declines and will result in ecological damage and create an unsustainable environment for humans. However, the resulting capital gain is valued more than the parts that sustain it, the environment and human beings.