The International Environmental Communication Association (IECA) is a relatively new organization devoted to fostering effective and inspiring communication that helps to spotlight and possibly solve environmental issues around the world. Formally established in 2011, the organization has its roots in the initial Conference on Communication and Environment in 1991.
The Environmental Communication Network and the professional journal “Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture” also helped form IECA and have been absorbed into the organization. IECA members include practitioners, teachers, scholars and other organizations devoted to spreading the word about environmental issues.
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IECA’s Mission
The IECA says it pursues a number of specific objectives through its ongoing activities. These are:
- An international forum for networking and collaboration
- Support of research and scholarship
- Support of all types of environmental communications
- Creating connections and partnerships with non-governmental organizations
- Creating and promoting teaching and curriculum development about the environment at a variety of educational levels
- Aiding in the development and promotion of sustainable practices
- Promoting environmental communications as a field of study among educators, policy makers, activists and professionals
Why Environmental Communications Matters
Anyone who participates in discussions about the environment is participating in environmental communications. It’s as simple as a chat among friend as well as a professional activity with defined goals. It has become a professional activity over the past few decades because of the actions of activists such as former U.S Vice President Al Gore.
Interdisciplinary study has developed at universities teaching environmental communications techniques as it examines the roles, techniques, and influences that communication has on environmental topics. Dialogue is not restricted to journalists and activists but can occur among groups as diverse as indigenous peoples, civil servants, scientists, religious institutions and other societal groups.
One of the goals of the International Environmental Communication Association is to promote good practices when communicating issues about the environment. In some instances, environmental communication is also seen as a crisis discipline to help those charged with disseminating information about a mishap or natural disaster. Environmental communication can help individuals shape how others see and understand the world to attain economic, cultural, technological, political or behavioral solutions.
ICEA Publications
As part of its effort to educate members and the public, ICEA produces a number of publications and links that cover environmental issues:
- Details on Environmental Communication, an official scholarly journal
- EC List, a weekly digest of what is occurring in environmental communications
- COCE Proceedings, news from past conferences detailing communication and environment
- Website blog posts
- ICEA member news
- Ecologue Newsletters, archives a defunct publication detailing environmental issues
ICEA Online Education
The organization makes it easy for members to educate themselves on best practices and techniques for effectively communicating environmental issues. The course is targeted toward individuals such as environmental communication practitioners, science and policy professionals, university students and concerned citizens.
The aim of the International Environmental Communication Association is to ultimately make individuals from all over the world better communicators on environmental issues through making better-informed and critically-aware judgments about their choice of language, visuals, and media.