New Book "Global Spin: the corporate assault on environmentalism" Recent surveys in the United States and Australia have shown majorities of 75-80 percent in favour of environmental protection 'regardless of cost' or 'even at the risk of curbing economic growth'. Yet this high level of public concern is not translating into government action. This book explains why. 'Global Spin' reveals the sophisticated techniques being used around the world by powerful conservative forces to try and change the way the community and its politicians think about the environment. Large corporations - acting through public relations firms, favoured think-tanks, law suits, educational and marketing campaigns, and on-side media outlets - are using their clout to reshape public opinion, to weaken gains made by environmentalists, and to persuade politicians against increased environmental regulations. Specialised public relation firms have become adept at setting up front groups that promote corporate agenda but pose as public interest-groups. These firms can also manufacture 'astroturf' - artificially created grassroots support for corporate causes - to help convince politicians to oppose environmental reforms. Meanwhile, conservative think-tanks, often heavily funded by the corporations, have sought to cast doubt on the seriousness of environmental problems, to oppose environmental regulations, and to promote free-market remedies to these problems. A vast range of techniques is being used to to hold the line or to roll back environmental advances. In the community, strategic lawsuits against public participation - SLAPP's - are being used to chill dissent. In more and more schools, corporate-based 'environmental educational' materials are repaling independently researched materials. In the shops, 'green marketing' is being used to persuade consumers that serious environmental problems are being redressed. And in the media, corporate advertising and sponsorship is influencing news content, and industry- funded scientists are often treated as independent experts. Global Spin shows how, in an awesome assault on democracy and its institutions, the massive, covert power of large corporations has enabled corporate agendas to dominate most debates about the state of the environment and what should be done about it. ***This major book is being released in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom on the 27th October 1997 and in the United States in early 1998.*** Dr. Sharon Beder is senior lecturer at the University of Wollongong. Her previous books include; 'The Nature of Sustainable Development', 'The New Engineer' and 'Toxic Fish and Sewer Surfing'. ______________________________________________________ Global Spin: the corporate assault on the environment. Sharon Beder Scribe Publications, Melbourne. ISBN 0 908011 326 AUD $24.95 288pp, incl. notes, biblio. and index. Orders can be taken direct from the publisher; Scribe Publications P/L, P.O. Box 287, Carlton North, Victoria, 3054, Australia. email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: +61 3 9381 2715 Fax: +61 9388 9670 ------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS LISTING- 1 INTRODUCTION: The first wave of corporate activism in the US; The war of ideas; The new corporate activism. 2 FRONTING FOR INDUSTRY: The corporate strategies of front groups. Manufacturing grassroots; Influence on politiciains; Grassroots: mobilising family, friends and neighbours; manufacturing a mass movement. 3 THE WISE USE MOVEMENT: Wise Use philosophical underpinnings; Common Enemy: the environment movement; Enrolling the alienated and dispossessed; Strategies and tactics; Support from conservative and corporate quarters; People of the West!; Property rights groups. 4 LAWSUITS AGAINST PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The chill effect; SLAPPs outside the USA; Responses to SLAPPs. 5 CONSERVATIVE THINK-TANKS: Corporate funding; Some conservative US think-tanks; Conservative think-tanks in other countries; Fostering think-tanks; Political influence; Long-term influence. 6 THINK-TANKS AND THE ENVIRONMENT: Casting doubt on the urgency of environmental problems; Paralysis by analysis; Free-market environmentalism; Resurrecting the market and reinforcing property rights. 7 THE PUBLIC RELATIONS INDUSTRY: Large public relations firms; Public opinions and the media; Modern media techniques; Public relations and government; Public relations or propoganda? 8 PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES: Communicating and cultivating trust; Emphasizing the positive; Getting environmentalists on side; Dealing with uncooperative environemtalists; gathering intelligence; Dealing with local residents. 9 SCIENTIFIC CONTROVERSY- DIOXIN: Industry-funded research; Industry and EPA get together; Renewed industry public relations efforts; Latest EPA dioxin reassessment; The chlorine industry and its allies; Chlorine industry public relations; Reassessment responses. 10 ADVERTISERS- GETTING THEM YOUNG: Targeting children; Targeting education; Infiltrating school lessons; Environmental education; Commercialism in education. 11 ADVERTISERS- INFLUENCE AND STRATEGIES: Green marketing; Influence of advertisers on the media; Television: promoting consumerism; Advocacy advertising; Proctor and Gamble; Consumer culture. 12 THE MEDIA- CORPORATE INFLUENCES: Becoming the major source of the news; Winning over the journalists; Journalistic objectivity; Framing and presenting the news; Lack of diversity in news reporting. 13 REPORTING ON THE ENVIRONMENT:Reporting on dioxin; Ownership of the media: General Electric and NBC: General Electric as a responsible corporate citizen. 14 CONCLUSION- DECLINING DEMOCRACY: Corporate power; The media and democracy; Implications for environmentalism. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND NOTES. > -- Vera Britto ([EMAIL PROTECTED] - http://www.umich.edu/~fiatlux) ............................................................................. Le Bret: Si tu laissais un peu ton ame mousquetaire, la fortune et la gloire... Cyrano: Et que faudrait-il faire? Chercher un protecteur puissant, prendre un patron, et, comme un lierre obscur que circonvient un tronc et s'en fait un tuteur en lui lechant l'ecorce, grimper par ruse au lieu de s'elever par force? Non, merci! Non, merci! Non, merci! Mais... chanter, rever, rire, passer, etre seul, etre libre... oui. "Cyrano de Bergerac" - Edmond Rostand
