13 pages., via online journal., News reporting on sustainability has been criticized for (1) having a limited
coverage of solutions, (2) reporting on solutions with a negative bias, (3)
being dominated by sources from government and mainstream
business, and (4) promoting frames that prioritize the role of the market
and techno-scientific solutions, which leave unchallenged the
unsustainable behavior of consumer societies and the focus on
economic growth. This study was the first to examine how sustainability
is reported in a constructive media outlet and found that articles (1)
consistently elaborated solutions, (2) described them in optimistic ways,
(3) quoted various sources, and (4) developed a frame that challenged
consumerism and critiqued society’s preoccupation with growth while
helping to imagine a desirable sustainable future. It is thus argued that
this novel, constructive approach to journalism can help move society to
a sustainable future by expanding the repertoire of culturally-resonant
stories to live by.
10 pages., via online journal, Research into farmers’ attitudes and motivations in the past has tended to be subjective and theoretically rather imprecise. This paper presents findings from research based on the structured social-psychology model, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, into farmers’ conservation-related behaviour. Responses from a survey of 100 Bedfordshire farmers were analysed to identify the underlying determinants of behaviour and to comprehend farmers’ attitudes. Farmers with greater environmental awareness, members of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, are more influenced by conservation-related concerns and less by farm management concerns than other farmers. They appear also to be more influenced by farming and conservation referent groups, grants and conservation advice.
