Environmental awareness in Lebanon: the problematic relationship between the media and environmental associations (*) - CAUS - Center for Arab Unity Studies

Introduction:

The media, with its multiple tools, renewable methods, and influential contents, has always paved the way for many major transformations throughout the ages. For official authorities, civil society organizations, and others. Like communication, the media arose as a human need that evolved with time, and moved from an individual work to a specialized institution. The media is at the basis of human interaction based on the human relationship. And «since the existence of this human interaction, human society has lived within the framework of three main systems: the biosphere, the manufactured sphere, and the social sphere. Environmental problems arise as a result of a defect or deterioration in some of the interactions between the three systems. Although man is not the center of the triangle of interactions between systems, he is a part of the elements of each of them. Therefore, these systems interact with human action and work, and the result of this interaction affects his life »[1] in its various aspects, including social, health... and environmental.

In Lebanon, environmental problems are exacerbating and their seasons are successive on land, sea and air without the availability of radical solutions, most notably random waste dumps, sewage, sea and beach pollution, and pollution of the Litani River. A deteriorating environmental reality, the repercussions of which have been repeatedly warned by international reports and international warnings. According to the World Health Organization, in 2018 Lebanon ranked first [2] among West Asian countries in the number of cancer cases, compared to the population, as there are 242 cancer patients out of every 100,000. Lebanese, while more than 17 thousand new infections were recorded in 2018, 8976 deaths in the same year.

According to a report by Greenpeace and analysis of data issued by satellites from June 1 to August 31 of 2018, the Jounieh region ranked fifth in the Arab world and 23rd globally in terms of the percentage of the gas polluting nitrogen dioxide in the air.

In the face of international warnings and statistics of shocking environmental organizations, it turns out that community environmental awareness does not exist by itself, but is a constructive and cumulative work in which a group of active parties in society and interested in the issue of the environment join forces to create this awareness. And if the associations active in the environmental field are concerned with creating this awareness, they seem unable to do so on their own and require means, methods and skills that are not available to them. Hence, the determinants of its relationship with the media is an important factor in spreading environmental awareness in society. Noting that this relationship between the two parties has its extensions with other relationships, each of them finds himself compelled to, on the first hand, the relationship of associations with researchers and scholars to provide them with documented and accurate data, and on the other hand, the relationship of the media with decision-makers at the political and economic levels.

Despite the expansion of the media field and the diversity of its means, and despite the increase in the number of environmental associations in Lebanon, and the increase in environmental activists, the problem of persistent environmental crises arises without finding any radical solutions to them. This reality puts us in front of the following problem: Does the quality of the relationship between environmental associations and the media have an impact on the level of environmental awareness and the response to environmental crises?

Through this study, we expanded the light on the relationship between environmental associations and the media in Lebanon, to reveal whether this relationship is normal between the two parties or is marred by challenges that hinder the areas of cooperation between them. The study also showed the conditions governing the mechanism of work of a sample of environmental associations and a sample of environmental journalists in the light of their experiences in dealing with the environmental file in their media institutions, so that we can determine the quality of the relationship between the two parties and its impact on enhancing community environmental awareness and thus reducing environmental crises.

First: A Concern Preceding Environmental Media

In a review of the historical path witnessed by environmental concern, and before the formation of the environmental media identity, human concern over their environment emerged since the era of agricultural life, which was characterized by customs and traditions aimed at organizing the harvesting process. Crops, logging, the quality of livestock that are slaughtered and other habits that indicate early human interest in protecting the environment and its resources. However, environmental concern did not continue during the successive eras, particularly in the era of the industrial revolution, when the mechanical, scientific and technical development led to human unbridledness in extracting and depleting natural resources, and in multiplying agricultural crops, in a way that harms the environment and disturbs the balance of the natural and ecological system, which is what Some scientists and researchers have awakened awareness of the dangers of the negative effects left by this revolution and its consequences on the environment. At the beginning of the second half of the last century, a group of studies appeared warning against this abuse, including the book Silent Spring by biologist Rachel Carson (Carson Rachelle) issued in 1962, which represented a warning bell to remedy the effects of industrial civilization on the environment in the United States. In her book, Carson draws attention to the issue of the disappearance of bird species, and the damage to wildlife caused by the increased use of pesticides and agricultural chemicals. As a result of the controversy aroused after this book at the national level, there has been a popular trend concerned with protecting the environment, and this is what prompted Congress to issue the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969.

However, no serious interest in environmental issues emerged, and environmental media features did not begin to form except with the interest of governments and the holding of the Stockholm Conference, under the slogan “We only have one globe” in 1972, in which the first official definition of the environment was launched, as: “The total material and social resources available at a time and place to satisfy human needs and aspirations.” The meeting recognized the role of environmental education as one of the pillars of preserving the environment and spreading environmental awareness. However, the interest of most governments in environmental issues began slowly, especially with the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the document on the rights and duties of states, which affirmed “the rights of states to development without reference to environmental standards.” Developed countries ignored the issue of the environment and evaded their responsibilities regarding the environmental repercussions of their activities. economic. The rams continued between the environmentalists and the industrialists, until “the decisive point emerged in 1983, after the Secretary-General of the United Nations asked the Prime Minister of Norway, Gro Harlem Brundtland [3], to form a committee to search for the best ways to enable the planet, which It is witnessing rapid growth, from continuing to meet basic needs by formulating scientific assumptions that link development issues with environmental care and preservation. In conjunction with the publication of the World Agency for Environment and Development of its report “Our Common Future” in 1987, the major environmental shock came to public opinion, which is the discovery of the ozone hole in Antarctica, which prompted the agreement in the same year on the Montreal Protocol to the Vienna Treaty on the protection of the ozone layer. And the concept of “sustainable development”[4] has become a central concept for future thinking.

With the gradual increase in environmental interest, the public view of environmental issues expanded, specifically with the Rio de Janeiro region holding the first global environmental summit, entitled: “Earth Summit”, in 1992. The importance of this summit lies in the fact that it attracted the attention of public opinion to the environment. And paved the way for the concept of sustainable development and its relationship to climate change. At this summit, the international community committed itself to the concept of sustainable development, formulated an international environmental law, in addition to adopting two agreements on climate change and environmental diversity. This summit moved the discussion on the environmental issue to the stage of “internationalization of the environmental problem (L’Internationalisation de la problématique environnementale)[5]. At this stage, environmental awareness grew and environmental movements led by thinkers and intellectuals in the West emerged. The features of environmental media began to be established and its roles expanded, not only by delivering the messages of environmental movements to the masses, but also by involving them and urging them to change their behaviors that are harmful to the environment.

Second: The reality of environmental associations in Lebanon

It is difficult to enumerate non-governmental environmental associations spread around the world, while in Lebanon, “their number exceeds 816 registered environmental associations,” according to the head of the Environmental Guidance Department at the Ministry of Environment, Eng. Lina dies [6]. Yamut stops at the statistical report conducted by the Ministry of Environment on the number of environmental associations between 2008 and 2016, and explains: “We divided the registered associations into categories: the first category (A) includes associations whose founding goals are 100 percent environmental, and the second category (B) includes environmental associations that Its founding goals are 50 percent and 75 percent environmental, and the third category (C) includes associations whose founding goals are less than 50 percent environmental.” The majority was for category (C) associations whose environmental goals do not exceed 50 percent, and they number 700.

There are many names under which associations fall, and they are dominated by generality and symbolism, as the saying “the written is read from its title” does not apply to them, given that very few associations can infer their goals and role from their name. This indicator should not be taken lightly, as it indicates the lack of specialization to a large extent among some associations, and to show themselves as well-versed in all environmental issues. In this context, Yamout regrets the lack of specialization, saying that knowledge of various environmental issues is an important issue. A person familiar with any subject, and it is necessary to move towards specialization. It is unfortunate that we now see a lawyer speaking about the environment, a professor of history lecturing about the environment, and everyone who likes to appear in the media begging for the environment. On the other hand, sometimes we do not find one or two people specialized in an environmental association, who hold certificates in the fields of the environment.

Part of the insistence of most environmental associations on their knowledge of various environmental issues is due to their hidden desire to win over the funder. This leads to raising the level of competition between associations without ensuring that the right environmental message is delivered. In this regard, Yamout explains: “Some associations have taken it upon themselves to fight fires or protect forests, so they seem to be holding on to their files. As for those whose goals are ramified, we find them floundering, oscillating, and often losing their main goal. The evidence is that associations that succeed in attracting external funding to implement local projects, Their number does not exceed the fingers of two hands.

About the media’s random hosting of personalities under the title of “environmental expert,” Yamout draws attention to an official warning letter sent by the Ministry of Environment to all media since September 2015, to the effect that “the environment is a vast science in itself, and the media cannot debate Citizens who belong to environmental bodies and ask them for scientific information about environmental issues and problems. They are required to name environmental experts, so they must make sure before hosting these of the certificates they hold.

The pace of the activities of environmental associations varies in Lebanon, some of which are characterized by seasonality, while others do not move until after a problem or issue becomes aggravated. And the other, to come back and lower her voice and then escalate again. Another example of the seasonality of the movement of environmental associations, those concerned with protecting the beach, as they appear almost once a year, but their enthusiasm quickly fades away and awareness campaigns are absent throughout the year, in addition to the issue of pollution of the Litani River, which lingers in place.

The complexity of the tasks of the largest number of environmental associations prevents them from concentrating on implementing their goals and achieving their full programmes. Also, the total dependence of associations primarily on volunteers who have their own preoccupations in daily life slows down their movement. For example, an association often calls for an afforestation campaign, and the announcement of the activity quickly reaps hundreds of likes and welcome comments on social media. When the day comes to implement the environmental activity, the number of participants decreases, and sometimes the activity is postponed until activists or school students are secured, or other associations are used. Add to this the problem of funding, which most associations complain about alike. On the other hand, associations show a high level of responsibility and commitment, especially those that are active in committees supervised by the Ministry of Environment, and which have been involved in councils such as the National Council for Wild Hunting, the National Council for Quarries and Crushers, and the National Council for the Environment.

Third: The problematic relationship between environmental associations and the media

In a research paper titled: “The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society in Global Environmental Governance” [7], Barbara Gamil[8] and Abimbula Bamidle-Ezzo[9] draw attention to five main roles played by civil society organizations, namely: Collecting and disseminating information, developing advisory policies, implementing policies, evaluating and monitoring, and advocating for justice. Based on these roles entrusted to them, the responsibility of civil society organizations in general, and environmental associations in particular, emerges in helping the media to rise to the level of motivating citizens to change their behavior and methods of dealing with the environment. Therefore, to the extent that the activities of environmental associations flourish, the coherence of their data, the strength of their monitoring and the richness of their data, their roles expand and their responsibility deepens in supporting environmental media to play their role. Societies keeping pace with the environmental situation and its developments, moment by moment, will enrich the media with the data they possess, while associations with poor data will be unable to provide journalists with accurate numbers and recent data that they may need in preparing their journalistic materials. Hence, it is clear that in part the skills of journalists are limited by the limited skills of environmental associations and activists. This prompted us to research the nature of the relationship between environmental associations in Lebanon and the media, and whether environmental associations allocate courses and workshops for journalists, and at the same time whether they train their members to acquire media skills, as well as knowing the extent of the need for each of the two parties to the other.

In order to find out the extent to which environmental associations support the Lebanese media and help it spread environmental awareness, and thus reduce crises. We conducted a semi-structured interview with ten environmental associations [10], which included 72 questions, divided into two axes: the first focuses on the communication skills of each association in addition to its identity, work, and goals... As for the second, it goes beyond internal matters, to its interest in the process Media and its proposals about the media's ability to spread an environmental culture in its methods of work. (Does the association communicate with the media? Why? What is the purpose of the communication? Has a media outlet ever asked it to provide it with documents and numbers? When does the association resort to the media?).

So we will try, in the following, to look at the relationship from the perspective of both parties: environmental associations on the one hand, and environmental journalists on the other hand.

1 - The relationship between environmental associations and the media from the perspective of the associations themselves

a - Environmental associations and communication skills

In the context of our research on the associations' awareness of the importance of communication, it turns out that the majority, at a rate of seven out of ten associations, considered that they pay sufficient attention to communication. While two associations reported that their skills are somewhat strong, and one association classified their communication skills as weak. When examining the adopted methods, we find that one out of ten associations has a media attachment, which is the “Lebanese Union for the Protection of the Environment,” which includes under its banner about forty-five environmental associations from various Lebanese regions. Whereas, the nine associations find that it is not possible for associations of modest size to adopt an information supplement for financial reasons. It also turns out that five associations, at a rate of half, own a website, while the other half relied solely on activating pages on social networking sites. In a quick tour of the websites of these associations, it seemed surprising that there was no continuous update on them, some of which stopped in the past year or the last environmental activity carried out by the association. It was evident that there was no one supervising the site and updating its contents, not to mention that some sites lack a map, which makes it difficult for the browser to navigate and obtain the appropriate information. On the other hand, we monitored the movement of environmental associations that rely on social media pages, and we found them constantly moving and activating, often sending an environmental message to their followers, and not stopping at publishing pictures of old activities of the association, but rather interacting with daily environmental problems and surrounding issues, and paving the way for their followers. to exchange opinions.

With regard to the issuance of environmental bulletins by associations, it was found that eight out of ten associations do not issue any bulletins, attributing the reasons to the lack of time to prepare this, the lack of funds, the lack of members, in addition to the fact that they find that people do not like reading . While only two associations are keen to issue a bulletin. In a quick look at one of these two publications, we notice that it is a magazine rich in pictures and non-environmental news, such as banquets, honors, and special meetings with the president of the association. One association out of ten indicated that it owns an environmental observatory, with the purpose of “monitoring various types of environmental violations such as landfills, trespasses, logging, indiscriminate hunting, waste dumping, and forest fires.” While nine associations saw that they lacked more basic matters related to their work mechanism, from funding to a media supplement, an office equipped with modern technologies…

The associations have different opinions about having their own environmental archives. Four associations confirmed that they maintain an environmental archive in their offices that anyone who wants can view it, while one association owns an archive, but the use of it is restricted to its affiliates. As for the remaining associations, they depend on individual archiving, meaning that each individual keeps what belongs to him, considering that there is no need for archiving in light of the existence of the Internet, “information can be retrieved with the click of a button.” One of the main issues that the associations could not resolve is the numbers of their affiliates. The president, the secretary and the treasurer are often enumerated, and then the estimates begin, especially since most of the associates are volunteers who are not bound by a term, but betting is made on their spirit of commitment. In this regard, each association has its own characteristics. Some of them complain about the low attendance of members in the monthly meetings, but they participate in field activities and awareness campaigns. Other associations are unable to fully implement their programs due to the inability to secure activists. In this context, the president of the “Sidas” association confirms. You,” Patricia Sfeir: “Half of those who confirmed their participation via social media pages often participate, which forces us to adjust the activity.” Not to mention other problems, including making excuses at the last minute, and giving priority to family ties at the expense of environmental activities.

With regard to associations training their members to acquire environmental culture, it was found that nine out of ten associations are keen to train their members to acquire environmental skills, at an irregular pace, ranging from twice a year to ten times. The topics and objectives of the courses are often related to the project implemented by the association, so the participants are trained in a way that makes them aware of how to deal with the problem at hand. The most prominent topics addressed by the associations: forest management, firefighting, natural reserves, water pollution, biodiversity conservation, plant cultivation, waste sorting... and others. As for the lecturers, they vary between foreign, international, embassies, volunteers, academics, and environmentalists from fellow associations.

With regard to the training of associations for their members to acquire media skills, we found that one association out of ten trains its members to acquire media skills, as a group of members is sent twice a year to courses abroad. As for the topics that are being trained on, they are: writing news, promoting an idea, the art of headlines, the art of discourse, and other tools that an environmentalist needs in his communication with others. In this context, Zaher Radwan, head of the Green Hand Association, says, in light of his experience training members to acquire skills in the media: “The return on training was not the size of the investment in it. We send young people to courses abroad, and after a period of their return instead of They transfer their skills to their colleagues, they may leave the association, and thus the association has incurred the burden of costs. However, he stresses that the associations can no longer ignore the language of the media, because they will remain alone, tweeting in their flock. In order to reach the widest segment of the audience, it is necessary to master the broadest language, which is the media.