1 page., Research among those who ski reveals the dilemma they face in desiring to preserve the environment while using energy-intensive means of travel to and from skiing sites.
4 pages., Online via Directory of Open Access Documents (DOAJ)., In interviews, "...a group of 'conservation-minded' Illinois farmers revealed that while they are not necessarily familiar with the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS), they are concerned with nutrient loss and are taking steps to address those concerns." However, authors observed that added efforts may be required to encourage adoption of the best management practices recommended by the strategy. The study also identified information sources farmers trust in making such decisions.
14 pages., Via online journal., Green technology is the means of improving towards the rising environmental concern. The implication of green fertilizer technology (GFT) is the need for the modern development of environmentally friendly technology, also to increase the production level among all the agriculture crops. It is especially needed for paddy production, as it has always been considered as an important commodity because it is the main staple food for the nation. Paddy production in Malaysia using GFT allows for sustainable development and boosts the yield. Nevertheless, the adoption rate of GFT is unsatisfactory in most of the developing countries, including in Malaysia. The fact that the cost of production is considerably higher results in low-level perception regarding the adoption of GFT. Hence, the integration of communication and technology factors could become one of the main elements for the further development of the paddy sector in Malaysia. The overall objective of this research study will identify the factors that determine paddy farmer's adoption decision on GFT in Malaysia. To do so, a literature review was compiled on the topic of agriculture innovation-based adoption decision theories such as Diffusion of innovation (DOI), Theory of reasoned action (TRA), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Technology acceptance model (TAM) and communication channels to study paddy farmers' adoption decision of GFT. The results of the review revealed that this framework highlights adoption as an intricate behavior, interweaving aspects such as communication channels, socio-psychological and innovation attribute considerations. The conceptual framework illuminates the decision towards adoption as a self-motivated process, assumes a composite interaction among groups of variables coming from two different theories. The combination of DOI, TRA, TPB, TAM and communication channels overcome some limitations that arise when the only theory is used to examine the adoption decision among paddy farmers in Malaysia. Correspondingly, there has been limited empirical research done on the decision of adoption toward GFT use among paddy farmers in Malaysia.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 133 Document Number: D11394
Notes:
9 pages., Via online., "For the first time, environmental protection rivals the economy among the public's top policy priorities" (for the president and Congress). Findings of a national survey among U.S. adults conducted January 8-13, 2020.
13 pages., Online from publisher., Using a review of literature, authors identified most important factors hindering the rise of public concern about the environment. Categories they identified included obtainment of information on environmental problems and appraisal processes related to environmental problems.
8 pages., Online via Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ.org). 8 pages., Author used a social vulnerability approach with a goal of improving conditions for persons and places most at risk. "However, this approach faces serious contradictions in both the disasters and development scenes." "...The promise of 'developed nations,' build around massive use of fossil fuels, puts global and African economic growth on a collision course with environmental calamity."
15 pages, This study leverages group-based control theory to explore how fresh starts reinvigorate consumers with low motivation to engage in collective environmental efforts. Typically, individuals with low control over their circumstances show less inclination toward collective goals. However, fresh starts can enhance the influence of perceived control on collective environmental engagement, with global identity mediating this relationship. This hypothesis was supported by two empirical studies. The first study analyzed data from 10,430 corporate participants in an energy-saving initiative, revealing that smaller organizations, which likely experience lower levels of control, made substantial energy-saving efforts early in the year, although this effect diminished over time. The second study of 108 college students found that a fresh start mindset and desire for control, mediated by global identity, enhance environmentally responsible behaviors. These findings suggest that fresh starts can effectively connect control perceptions with proactive environmental actions, underscoring their potential to foster collective environmental efforts.
9 pages., Via online journal., Intergenerational environmental communication (IGEC) was examined using pre- and post-survey research after child participation in a groundwater environmental education (EE) program. The EE program increased child knowledge, but did not significantly increase parent knowledge. There was also a significant difference between perceived levels of environmental communication (EC) between child and parent, with parents indicating higher levels of EC than their children. Participants reporting low EC levels had significantly less interest in, concern for, or knowledge about environmental issues. Several key factors initiated IGEC between children and their parents, including saving household money by changing environmental behaviors, exposure to media sources that reported environmental news, and school activities such as homework related to environmental issues. Environmental educators should be cautious when implementing EE programs, as additional considerations are essential to determine what influence, if any, child participants have beyond the classroom. Continued research is needed to increase EC between children and their parents with the hope of improving intergenerational approaches to environmental issues.
11 pages, Background and Objective: Greenwashing as a concept has lately appeared to attract the attention of several practitioners and scholars.
This study aims to examine the effects of greenwashed labels on Lebanese consumersʼ trust, while accounting for the mediating role that
personal, social and environmental factors play. Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire was addressed to a sample of 227
consumers aged between 19 and 24 years old, in order to investigate their opinion towards labels that feature particular green attributes
on chocolate bars. This study adopts exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling for the analysis of data. Results: A
negative association exists between greenwashed labels and consumersʼ trust. The presence of personal and environmental factors as
mediators between greenwashed labels and consumersʼ trust does not indicate remarkable influence. Social factors alone are seen to
play the mediating role that affects the relation of the relevant variables. Conclusion: The suspicious greenwashing practices of many
corporations have today raised consumersʼ concerns. In general, many Lebanese consumers currently hold unfavorable perspectives
towards products that feature unverified green claims on their labels. Corporations targeting the Lebanese market should therefore
diminish their greenwashing activities and design truthful labels that generate trust among consumers.
Mitloehner, Frank (author / University of California-Davis)
Format:
Commentary
Publication Date:
2016-04
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 114 Document Number: D11025
Notes:
Via online., "A white paper, defining the role animal agriculture and other sectors of societ play in their respective contribution of greenhouse gasses, as the societal concerns grow to seek a sustainable global future." ... "Now is the time to end the rhetoric and separate facts from fiction around the numerous sectors that contribute emissions and to identify solutions for the global food supply that allow us to reduce our impact on the planet and its resources."
4 pages., "In "Shooting War: 18 profiles of conflict photographers," Sebastiao Salgado tells author Anthony Feinstein why he spends years exploring a single theme. Includes not only the destruction of human life, but also the violence inflicted on on the land and the ruination of the environment.
4pgs, A wetland contaminated by industrial waste is slowly coming back to life. Nature’s tenacity found a powerful ally in a kayak tours operator and her many volunteers.
19 pages., Online via UI e-subscription, Researchers examined the effectiveness of descriptive norm cues in the context of green advertising for large grocery chains through the lens of the persuasion knowledge model. "Results suggested that green advertising might be more productive if retailers frame their messages without descriptive norm cues and reliance on whether they are seen as 'green' (Whole Foods) or 'non green' (Wal-Mart)."
20 Pages, Springer Online, Aspirations to farm ‘better’ may fall short in practice due to constraints outside of farmers’ control. Yet farmers face proliferating pressures to adopt practices that align with various societal visions of better agriculture. What happens when the accumulation of external pressures overwhelms farm management capacity? Or, worse, when different visions of better agriculture pull farmers toward conflicting management paradigms? This article addresses these questions by comparing the institutional manifestations of two distinct societal obligations placed on California fruit and vegetable farmers: to practice sustainable agriculture and to ensure food safety. Drawing on the concept of constrained choice, I define and utilize a framework for comparison comprising five types of institutions that shape farm management decisions: rules and standards, market and supply chain forces, legal liability, social networks and norms, and scientific knowledge and available technologies. Several insights emerge. One, farmers are expected to meet multiple societal obligations concurrently; when facing a “right-versus-right” choice, farmers are likely to favor the more feasible course within structural constraints. Second, many institutions are designed to pursue narrow or siloed objectives; policy interventions that aim to shift farming practice should thus anticipate and address potential conflicts among institutions with diverging aspirations. Third, farms operating at different scales may face distinct institutional drivers in some cases, but not others, due to differential preferences for universal versus place-specific policies. These insights suggest that policy interventions should engage not just farmers, but also the intersecting institutions that drive or constrain their farm management choices. As my framework demonstrates, complementing the concept of constrained choice with insights from institutional theory can more precisely reveal the dimensions and mechanisms that bound farmer agency and shape farm management paradigms. Improved understanding of these structures, I suggest, may lead to novel opportunities to transform agriculture through institutional designs that empower, rather than constrain, farmer choice.