Everyone knows that preserving the environment is important, but we all know that we are the cause of environmental issues such as climate change ,air pollution and deforestation. But getting people to understand and take action towards these issues is a challenge. How do we get the message across? Sometimes the medium is as important as the message. Movies are a powerful medium, one of the best ways to convey a message, make people aware and interested. I feel that movies are the best way of conveying a message explaining environmental issues. I think using effective communication to get people aware, and motivated to take action towards important global issues, like the environment is worth fighting for.
There are a variety of types of media that can be used to advocate on issues like the environment. But some mediums are more effective than others in conveying powerful messages. A poster, for example, is a 2 dimensional sheet often illustrated, that is posted to advertise or publicize something. An environment poster for example might depict images for recycling. A poster is something people glance at for a few seconds. In some cases it's an effective piece of media but perhaps not the best way to advocate on huge important issues and to explain their complexity. Some environment issues like deforestation are complicated and environmental and should be expressed clearly and powerfully. Many people lack a good understanding of the more complex environmental issues. They might know terms like climate change, air pollution, and deforestation, but don't fully understand whats its like to experience these situations. If people knew the effects that these issues have on our planet only then might that make people aware and motivated to take action for these issues. I feel the medium of film is an effective way to convey deeper messages about the importance of environment issues. The film could be a documentary or a fictional movie. A film, unlike a poster, can provide context and description, allowing a person to almost, but not quite, experience an issue through the movie going experience.
Conveying this message about environmental issues is portrayed prominently throughout movies. Movies are a way of mobilizing people, and sometimes to advocate for a cause usually in a subtle way. For example the movie Avatar (directed by James Cameron) is about a paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission who becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is home. The viewer is first impressed by Avatar's special effects and storyline. But as you watch the film you get drawn into the message that it is trying to convey. That message is about the environment and the effects of deforestation. Avatar is a movie that portrays an environmental issue in a subtle way, and leaves the viewer with messages beyond what they would have expected. Movies have mass appeal. Avatar was seen by millions worldwide. What a powerful way to send a message to millions of people about the causes and effects of deforestation! The most effective part about a movie is that you can visualize, interpret, and get an understanding of what the result of the issue is. This was portrayed in the movie Avatar as well as the popular Pixar movie WALL -E which is about a small waste collecting robot who inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind. WALL-E shows how earth has turned into a waste land because of people, polluted where no life can survive. It used the medium of creative animation to depict these issues. As a result it is able to send a message to children as well as adults.
Advocacy organizations and activists who campaign on important political and social issues like the environment, needs to take advantage of the different types of media to get their message across and change peoples attitude, understanding, and behavior. The medium used to convey messages can make the difference between apathy and action or 10 people being involved versus 100,000. Believing in a cause is often not enough to make a difference. How you communicate that cause to others and inspire them to act leads to change. For example if I care about deforestation then I could go plant a tree in my garden, or start a campaign, do something to mobilize a group of people. Issues need to be linked with good communication strategies. For example not everyone can make a movie like Avatar, but they can use different types of media to convey a message and have people support a cause. Big issues like the environment require more people to get involved.
Overall the media is one of the most important and effective ways of communication. It advocates, makes people aware, interested, and entertained. The environment is one of the biggest issues that is portrayed through the media. In posters, documentaries, magazines, and the most effective way movies. But the way for media to work is for people to take advantage of these messages and turn them into personal and shared actions. The medium is the message. And if the medium is effective on environment issues, it can lead to cleaner, more sustainable world.
