Redalyc.ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION

Mètode Science Studies Journal ISSN: 2174-3487 [email protected] Universitat de València España

Josep Picó, Maria; Pellisser, Nel·lo ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION Mètode Science Studies Journal, núm. 1, 2011, pp. 87-115 Universitat de València Valencia, España

Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=511751285011

How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION

Monograph coordinated by Maria Josep Picó and Nel·lo Pellisser

ithin the fi eld of scientifi c communication, environmental issues have taken a prominent role in the last two decades. This fi eld has earned a special place in the media, thanks W to the public interest stirred up by environmental issues, especially the deterioration wavegreen of nature and the impact on health or the economy. Progress in information transmission systems, with widespread use of the Internet and devices that receive and playback contents, has led to the development and popularization of environmental stories through both informational and entertaining genres. This novel framework has provided new platforms from which scientists and researchers can publicize their work, though a greater effort must be made to adapt these contents to the wider public. Nonetheless, the development and growth of robust, rigorous and up-to-date environmental journalism has yet to overcome the problems derived from its being seen as an obstacle to our monograph current model of growth.

Maria Josep Picó. Environmental Journalist and winner of the National Prize for Environmental Journalism. Science Policy Bureau of the University of Valencia. Nel·lo Pellisser. Reporter for the TV program Medi ambient on Canal 9 Dos and Professor of Audiovisual Communication of the University of Valencia.

For this issue, M ÈTODE received the collaboration of the Valencian artists Francisca Mompó and Mira Bernabeu. The works of these artists complement the articles, written by various authors, throughout this monograph dedicated to environmental communication, thus providing an ar tistic vision of this ﬁ eld of scientiﬁ c communication.

On the left, Francisca Mompó. Botanical Agenda , 2010. «Botanical» series. Gouache, collage on paper, 70 x 100 cm.

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 87 Francisca Mompó. Double-folded , 2010. «Botanical» series. Gouache, collage on paper, 70 x 100 cm. FROM THE ECOLOGISTS’ STRUGGLE TO A GLOBAL PRIORITY

THE EMERGENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM

Maria Josep Picó and Nel·lo Pellisser

The environmental message has always held a place in the speeches of the masses. However, it was the ecologists’ declarations of the early sixties that mark the origins of journalistic expression as we know it today. Since then, the environmental issue has edged into the media little by little, now having become a priority on news agendas. Written communication, be it the printed word or on the Internet, as well as the audiovisual media, echo society’s growing interest in environmental issues.

However, environmental journalism still faces certain challenges, which must be surmounted in order wavegreen to overcome inherent weaknesses, such as alarmism, superﬁ cial treatment and the conquest of prime- time television slots.

The environment has come to occupy a place in the model came a decade later, with the work The Limits to news agenda, which it is not going to vacate. The path Growth (1972), coordinated by the Professor Dennis L. to achieving this position has been full of hurdles Meadows. That same year, the United Nations set up its and mishaps from the outset in the late 1970s. This, «Programme for the environment». Subsequently there unquestionably, is because it is one of the areas of have been diagnoses, protocols, European standards, journalism that levels most criticism at the bases of etc., as well as ecological protests and actions, which monograph the economic system and social model prevailing have not only improved environmental awareness in developed countries. The allies of environmental but also provided the counterpoint to information reporting have not been, until recently, giants wielding and opinions closer to mainstream development. Þ nancial clout or prestigious political leaders. However, Natural disasters brought ever closer to the global patent evidence of environmental deterioration and village thanks to the development of new transmission accidents, destruction of habitats and landscapes, technologies have also helped raise environmental loss of biodiversity or the impact of atmospheric journalism to the vital category, it now holds. emissions on our health, amongst Within the context of the other things, all demonstrate Earth Summit (1992), the end of the undeniable importance of the twentieth century witnessed environmental news reporting. «THIS VICTORY OF the Þ rst period of splendour This victory of environmental ENVIRONMENTAL CONTENT for environmental reporting in content in the struggle for space IN THE STRUGGLE FOR Spain, with the proliferation and time has been won gradually. of magazines like Geo (1989), SPACE AND TIME HAS BEEN Many voices, both individual Ecología y Sociedad (Ecology and collective, have achieved the WON GRADUALLY. MANY and Society, 1992), Ecosistemas current prominent position held by VOICES, BOTH INDIVIDUAL (Ecosystems, 1992), La Tierra environmental issues in the mass AND COLLECTIVE, HAVE (Earth, 1996) and Biológica media. Silent Spring (1962) by ACHIEVED THE CURRENT (Biological, 1997), although Rachel Carson was a pioneer work Quercus was already to be found in this struggle, while one of the PROMINENT POSITION HELD on the newsstands by 1981 and Þ rst warnings about the impact BY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Naturaleza two years after that. of our industrial production IN THE MASS MEDIA» Similarly, daily papers started

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 89 to issue supplements on ecology and the demand for specialised journalists grew. This period also saw the creation of the Journalists Association of Environmental Information (Asociación de Periodistas de Información Ambiental, APIA) and the Catalan Association of Scienti Þ c Communication, which both promoted the Environmental Information Group (Grupo de Informadores Ambientales, GIA).

■ THE EVILS OF SENSATIONALISM AND THE CLIMATE CHANGE BOMB

Environmental news, however, has remained in no mans land hopping from section to section and ß irting with the business pages while environmental journalists have not become indispensable in the newsroom either. Specialization is one of the great future challenges, which we must tackle in order to put a stop to super Þ cial or unreliable treatment of news about nature and ecology or fall into the trap of trivial sensationalism. And, among others, the daily challenge of deciphering, with the utmost rigor, the complexity and uncertainty of the issue. Global warming has left an incalculable mark on environmental journalism, as a result of two main issues: global economic impact and the voice of the Þ lm industry. The publication of the fourth report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007 represented its launch to fame, with a collateral effect: it eclipsed other environmental issues. The explosion did not happen in isolation, it was preceded by the British Governments Stern Report, which announced the negative effects climate

monograph green wave change would have on the global economy, and the documentary An Inconvenient Truth , by American political leader Al Gore, which we will discuss later in the context of audiovisual reporting. The short-term success of contents labelled «climate change» Þ zzled out with the advent of the current

© WWFÞ nancial crisis. Once again, the health of environmental © WWF The campaigns and actions led by environmental groups, both at a journalism has proven weak as, with a decline in local and global level, have promoted environmental communication advertising, environmental issues cannot compete with by raising public awareness about the need to conserve our politics, sports or economy. Not only that, prestigious environment. journalists trained in the environmental sector are also very vulnerable. One resounding case is that of the loss of The New York Times in ß uential environmental «THE POWERFUL AMERICAN, AS WELL AS science journalist Andrew C. Revkin at the end of 2009 and, a year earlier, the decision by CNN to cancel its EUROPEAN, AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRIES section on science, technology and environment, and HAVE BEGUN TO INVEST IN BIG Þ re the whole team, including Miles OBrien. Closer PRODUCTIONS, CATERING FOR BOTH to home, the Pompeu Fabra University still runs its CINEMA AND TELEVISION» prestigious Master of Communication in Science, © Maria Josep Picó © Maria Josep Picó

90 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011 Environment and Health but last year, essentially for economic reasons, Columbia University decided to scrap its degree in environmental journalism, which it began to run back in 1995.

■ FROM THE PRINTED WORD TO THE INTERNET In the grip of the crisis, environmental journalism remains dormant. It cannot disappear, but nor can it gain ground in weightier sections, like economy. It cannot make progress in the specialization of journalists nor move towards the transversality it desires. Within this scenario, weekly or fortnightly supplements on science, health and the environment, which include advertising, are kept running, such as «Tierra » by El País , « Abc Natural » by Abc or «Eureka» by El Mundo . The boundaries restricting environmental green wavegreen information in the mainstream media are more relaxed in the Internet. Websites are much more versatile when it comes to providing space for supposedly less prominent issues, like the environment. Thus, electronic newspapers tend to go for exclusive The misuse of land and natural resources, beyond sustainable occupation and use, has been one of the environmental issues most sections, given the digital traf Þ c of readers, though widely discussed by the mass media in recent years. Above, sand this social demand remains unmet in the printed dunes in El Saler (Valencia), virtually destroyed by a redevelopment formats. Sometimes they do so under the heading project in the seventies, and currently in the process of restoration. «Environment» ( The Guardian ) through more often Today it is part of the Albufera Natural Park. Below, a mosaic of urban, rural and natural landscapes in Vall de la Valldigna (Valencia). integrated into the «Science» section ( El País, El

Mundo, The New York Times ), while others offer monograph broader alternatives like «Planète» in Le Monde . Health and technology are two scienti Þ c sections currently encroaching on environmental issues, as they enjoy the backing of increasingly powerful lobbies. The environment wins on the Internet, a meeting point of NGOs, environmentalists, foundations, institutions... In Catalonia the digital magazine Sostenible (http://www.sostenible.cat) commands a wide readership, but there are many others just one click away. These sites have created a new type of information supply and demand, which is why the news agency Efe has recently set up a new news service called Efe Verde (Green Efe ), led by Arturo Larena. Meanwhile, electronic blogs have opened the gateway to dialogue, where the roles of sender and receiver alternate, with all the dangers and advantages this entails. The Internet is huge, thus the selection, quality and thoroughness of environmental news becomes a priority. At the same time, we keep alive our ambition of integrating the environment in the daily news on a normal basis, without the need for natural disasters or environmental catastrophes.

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 91 ■ THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE AUDIOVISUAL FORMAT

Audiovisual formats have always been particularly effective in media communication, particularly those able to go into depth in describing facts and disseminating knowledge, such as reports and

documentaries. The former became well established h e b o

on television from the start, while the documentary K

l a c s

has developed in parallel with the movies, fountain a P

from which all audiovisual expression imbibes. Like © other forms of discourse, the documentary soon found Above, a diver with a great white shark during the shooting of the its place on television. We can even say that, thanks blockbuster documentary fi lm Oceans , a wildlife documentary premiered last April in Spain. The next page shows another point to the Þ lm-television binomial, the documentary has during the fi lming, with a camera surrounded by golden jellyfi sh. been able to enlarge its habitat, which has enabled it to achieve certain stability at a time when audiovisual discourse patterns are subject to constant rede Þ nition and adaptation to new demands. Moreover, in recent «SPECIALIZATION IS ONE OF THE GREAT times, it has become a format with unprecedented FUTURE CHALLENGES, WHICH WE MUST impact, both in the cinema and on television. TACKLE IN ORDER TO PUT A STOP TO Scienti Þ c and environmental news stories, among SUPERFICIAL OR UNRELIABLE TREATMENT others, have bene Þ ted from this. On the one hand, OF NEWS ABOUT NATURE AND ECOLOGY because these issues concern and interest the public, who are as interested in the planets biodiversity and OR FALL INTO THE TRAP OF TRIVIAL ecological balance as they are about health, nutrition SENSATIONALISM» and technology, among other topics. We could say we are witnessing a «green wave» spanning many social ambits. Labels like «ecological», «organic», «green» or «sustainable» are now common for many products © Richard Herrmann and numerous initiatives. In this sense, it is signi Þ cant p r o

that two national dailies, El País and Público, have c a p o r

been using environmental and nature documentaries in u E / s

this seasons promotional campaign, that is, marketing m l i F

r i monograph green wave strategists have noted that these topics are of growing v e z l E

public interest and that the documentary format is - e m appealing. Also signi Þ cant is the participation of this o H

m l i

type of work in Þ lm festivals and the proliferation of F

topic-speci Þ c awards and events, such as the Festival © Internacional de Cine Ecológico y de Naturaleza de Canarias (International Film Festival of Ecology and Nature of the Canary Islands), the Biennial International Scienti Þ c Film Festival of Ronda, Tele-Natura in Pamplona or Urban-TV in Madrid. Furthermore, documentaries can explore and disseminate knowledge in depth. Within the context d u a

where audiovisual stories have been shortened due u h T

to the so-called «clip culture» an example being the u g n a T

daily news both documentary and report formats have become discursive forms that, given their morphology, © In the same vein as Oceans , we fi nd the documentary Home (2009). popularize knowledge. Another very important reason Above we see fi lm director, Yan Arthus-Bertran, during the shooting for this is because the documentary has enhanced the and below, one of the spectacular scenes offered by this fi lm, the dramatic component of news stories. This has been amazing hot springs of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming (U.S.A.).

92 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011 green wavegreen monograph made possible, in part, thanks to the improved processes All this has led to a popularization of the of recording, reproduction and post-production of format, so now it is common for many institutions, images. Moreover, we have seen the development of companies, research centres, universities, NGOs, or digital and high de Þ nition (HDTV) formats, as well even individuals, to adopt the documentary format as improvements in devices that can incorporate new to promote their activities. Thus, the University of perspectives to the story, such as micro cameras, remote Valencia concluded the celebration of Darwin year control cameras, or time-lapse systems, steadycam, with the presentation its documentary Following macro lenses and telephoto lenses, plus the proliferation Darwins footsteps (2010), which relates the theory of of digital animation software. Without underestimating evolution with the so-called «Maeso case». This case equipment like helicopters, hot-air balloons, ultra-light involved the massive contagion of around 300 people aircraft that show us another perspective and make in Valencia with hepatitis C in the nineties. According productions more appealing. to the principle of common origin, it could be traced Besides, because of the «hybridization» of genres back ancestrally to a single source, as can be done in all currently characteristic of the audiovisual format, living organisms, including viruses. the classical documentary tradition has incorporated This has also led to an improvement in this type elements from other formats typically employed of audiovisual production, to the point where it to relate both fact and Þ ction. Of the former, it makes up a signi Þ cant portion of the leisure products has adopted, where appropriate, simpli Þ cation of in demand. Parallel to the growing interest in this production processes as well as other resources like type of production, the powerful American, as well dramatization. Regarding the latter, it has implemented as European, audiovisual industries have begun to Þ ction formats to recreate or reconstruct actions that invest in big productions, catering for both cinema require more complex audiovisual procedures. and television markets. A good example of these

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 93 monograph green wave

Francisca Mompó. Plant Report , 2010. «Botanical» series. Graphite, collage on paper, 30 x 41 cm.

94 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011 recent works are Home (2009), the shooting of which BBC, Jacques Cousteau or Spanish televisions Félix exceeded one year and with an investment of 12 Rodríguez de la Fuente and, more recently, following million Euros, and more recently Oceans (2010), in their footsteps, we have the productions by with the same Þ lm crew as Microcosmos (1996) and Joaquín Gutiérrez Acha or Luis Miguel Domínguez, Winged Migration (2001), with a budget of 50 million in addition to the enormous output of the National Euros and four years of underwater shooting. Geographic Society and Discovery Channel. These But the production which marked a turning point are dealt with in greater depth in another article in this in promoting the environmental documentary was magazine on television productions. the aforementioned An Inconvenient Truth (2006), In short, written communication, be it the printed starring Al Gore. Staged in the most spectacular and word or on the Internet, and audiovisual formats catastrophic style, An Inconvenient Truth managed together provide a wide range of opportunities to to stir up public concern about re ß ect environmental issues, and the effects of global warming even hold a place in the agendas and convince spectators of the of the mass media. Both the mass need to take immediate action, «BOTH DOCUMENTARY media and their audiences have despite containing certain errors, AND REPORT FORMATS shown interest in this topic area, as reported by the scienti Þ c HAVE BECOME DISCURSIVE an interest reaching beyond a community. ß eeting trend or fad. Nonetheless, FORMS THAT, GIVEN THEIR wavegreen However, this momentum the mass media discourse must seek documentary format is currently MORPHOLOGY, POPULARIZE the integration and survival of enjoying would not have been KNOWLEDGE» these issues naturally, reliably and possible without the contributions with rigor. of David Attenborough, on the

BIBLIOGRAPHY RECOMMENDED VIEWING APIA, 2003. Conclusiones del V Congreso Nacional de Periodismo Ambiental. Asociación de Periodistas de Información Ambiental (APIA). Some interesting documentaries on the Madrid. ARMESTO , F. & C. A RMESTO , 2004. Supervivencia o suicidio. Hacia el futuro environment: de la Humanidad . Alianza Ensayo. Madrid.

CASTELLS , M., 2001. La galaxia internet. Re ß exiones sobre Internet, monograph Baraka (1992). Dir. Ron Fricke. empresa y sociedad . Editorial Areté. Barcelona. Microcosmos (1996). Dir. Claude Nuridsany & Marie CASTELLS , M., 1999. La era de la información. Economía, sociedad y Pérennou. cultura. Vol. 2. El poder de la identidad . Alianza Editorial. Madrid. CERRILLO , A. (coord), 2008. El periodismo ambiental. Análisis de un cambio Winged Migration (2001). Dir. Jacques Perrin, cultural en España . Fundación Gas Natural. Barcelona. Jacques Cluzaud & Michel Debats. DE LA R OSA , R., 2001. La revolución ecológica. La búsqueda de la libertad a Darwin’s Nightmare (2005). Dir. Hubert Sauper. través de la ecología . Icaria Editorial. Barcelona. GARCÍA , E., 2004. Medio Ambiente y sociedad. La civilización industrial y March of the Penguins (2005). Dir. Luc Jacquet. los límites del planeta . Alianza Editorial. Madrid. An Inconvenient Truth (2006). Dir. Davis MEADOWS , D.; R ANDERS , J. & D. M EADOWS , 2004. Limits to Growth: The 30- Guggenheim. Year Update . White River Junction, Chelsea Green. TERRADAS , J., 2006. Biogra Þ a del món. De lorigen de la vida al col·lapse Earth (2007). Dir. Alastair Fothergill & Mark Linﬁ eld. ecològic . Columna. Barcelona. Home (2009). Dir. Yann Arthus-Bertran. Maria Josep Picó. Environmental Journalist and winner of the National Following Darwin’s Footsteps (2010). Dir. Harmonia Prize for Environmental Journalism. Science Policy Bureau of the University Carmona & Maria Sales. of Valencia. Oceans (2010). Dir. Jacques Perrin & Jacques Nel·lo Pellisser. Reporter for the TV programme Medi ambient on Canal 9 Dos and Professor of Audiovisual Communication of the University Cluzaud. of Valencia.

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 95 Francisca Mompó. Naturally , 2010. «Botanical» series. Graphite, collage on paper, 50 x 70 cm. SAVING THE PLANET

ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC OPINION

Carlos Elías

Environmental journalism has been instrumental to changing public opinion from believing we are the chosen species, with a right to subdue nature, to the awareness that nature must be respected. However, reactionary sectors of society are using environmental journalism to confuse public opinion. Only by regarding this genre as an important part of science journalism, and by selecting truly reliable sources, can we ﬁ ght against the demagoguery that often creeps into the media when it comes to the environment. green wavegreen For some years now, no more than two decades, Guanches, considered, even by supposedly reliable several scienti Þ c issues have been in the mass media. historians, as barbarian or pagan peoples with News about climate change, global warming and negative connotations because they worshipped trees deserti Þ cation appear in media coverage almost daily. or rivers instead of human abstractions or symbols. From this journalistic platform (political ministries Given these foundations (Judeo-Christian included), the environment has also made its mark ideology that undervalues nature versus man and on the political and economic agenda and even Roman tradition that considers the submission and on the artistic agenda, with excellent movies like modi Þ cation of natural environmental conditions to be Avatar . This has led to a rise in a type of journalism, a cultural achievement), the fact that Western public which in the eighties was purely anecdotal, so-called opinion is ever more aware of the environment can

environmental journalism. be considered a social change as monograph Although in many cases it is important and revolutionary as impossible to say which came «THE FIRST STEP WAS the emancipation of women or Þ rst, the chicken or the egg, with minorities achievement of social FOR ENVIRONMENTAL respect to public awareness about rights. environmental issues we can JOURNALISTS TO EXPLAIN I would like to stress that the trace the origins, and safely state TO THE PUBLIC HOW NATURE role played by journalism in that journalism has played a key WORKS, HOW TO CARE FOR bringing about this change has role. And it has not been easy. In IT AND, ABOVE ALL, HOW TO been fundamental. The Þ rst step the West, at least, the three great was for environmental journalists CONSERVE IT» monotheistic religions Judaism, to explain to the public how Christianity and Islam believe nature works, how to care for it that nature exists to be subdued and, above all, how to conserve by mankind and to serve him alone. it. The second step, which is only just beginning, goes Even today, for example, the Aqueduct in Segovia even further: it involves replacing the image of man is considered a laudable monument, when in reality as the «chosen species» with man as a destructive it carried water from the wetlands to dry regions, and predatory species on the planet. Richard severely breaking the natural balance of ecosystems. Attenboroughs documentary series or Richard Seldom are the destructive powers of the Roman Dawkins views point in this direction and this has aqueducts and roads explained. Nor does history triggered Þ erce opposition by the most reactionary recount how the Roman barbarians almost drove the sectors of society. brown bear to extinction in Europe, just for the fun of One idea that has been conveyed to the public is it. Even so, ancient Rome and its peoples were known that the most important problem facing the planet as «civilized» people as compared to the Celts or the is environmental deterioration caused, among other

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 97 things, by the relentless and unsustainable population growth of a terrible predator species: mankind. To consider man as a «deadly plague» is a philosophical approach unprecedented in the West. Scientists say that the only device capable of stopping the catastrophe, looming upon the planet, is to raise public awareness and this awareness cannot be achieved without journalism. Interestingly, journalism has become the weapon of choice to save the planet. This has not only boosted the environmental journalism genre, but also counter-initiatives that seek to destroy it.

■ THE LINK BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENCE JOURNALISM

One of the most intriguing aspects of this phenomenon, especially for those of us who study it from the academic point of view, is that environmental journalism is breaking away from science journalism. In Spain, for example, the association of science journalists coexists with the association of environmental journalists. Another example is the new degree offered by thee Carlos III University of Madrid, where a compulsory subject called «Scienti Þ c and Environmental Journalism» has replaced the formerly compulsory «Journalism for Science and

monographTechnology» green wave which Þ gured in the previous Bachelor degree programme. This change in a core subject of a degree course, or the fact that there are two different associations, can be viewed in two ways. From the positive viewpoint, Nowadays, various issues related to the environment have managed to capture media attention. This is the case of climate change, which it indicates the extraordinary importance given to has appeared both on the cover of specialist journals and in daily environmental journalism over other areas. The radical newspaper headlines. Moreover, climate change is an example of how avant-garde representation of the human species in environmental issues can turn into ideological ones. To deal with relation to nature has not been in vain. From this this, journalists should have sufﬁ cient knowledge and skill to identify reliable sources. viewpoint the differentiation is highly justi Þ able. But there is also a darker side to this issue: segregating «environmental» from «scienti Þ c» may give the impression that it is not considered a «science», «SCIENTISTS SAY THAT THE ONLY but an «ideology». If the environment is considered to DEVICE CAPABLE OF STOPPING THE be a science, like any other, why isnt it taken care of by CATASTROPHE, LOOMING UPON THE science journalists whose areas of expertise fall within ecology, atmospheric physics, particle physics (for PLANET, IS TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS nuclear energy), soil science, agricultural chemistry or AND THIS AWARENESS CANNOT BE marine biology, among others? ACHIEVED WITHOUT JOURNALISM»

98 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011 university degree level. Moreover, given the particular idiosyncrasies of environmental information, in which, for example, there are many biased information sources aiming to manipulate public opinion the environmental journalist must have far greater scienti Þ c knowledge than, for example, the journalist who specializes in astronomy, a Þ eld where information is readily available from press of Þ ces. The media coverage of astronomy, for example, is not of interest to information manipulators. There is no politicization possible of research results reporting the existence of a black hole in a particular galaxy. But it is quite another story for climate change, and the reporter must have enough knowledge to discuss research results and, more importantly, discern reliable information sources. Science journalism, for example, has taken years to establish the criteria for selecting reliable information sources. To begin with, only those results which have green wavegreen been endorsed by prestigious journals are published, which, in turn, have undergone a blind peer review system with ensured repeatability Its separation from science of experiments. Thus, results journalism is, therefore, published in journals like Nature controversial: if environment «ENVIRONMENTAL or Science are preferred over is science, this speci Þ cation is JOURNALISM IS MOVING others appearing in obscure or redundant; and if it is not science DANGEROUSLY AWAY FROM unknown journals. as some extreme right ideologists THE PATH OF SCIENCE. Furthermore, science would like its arguments cannot journalism has come to accept INFORMATION SOURCES ARE an important maxim: there is be considered valid bases for monograph political or economic decisions. OFTEN OF AN IDEOLOGICAL freedom of expression, but not In other words, this differentiation NATURE, SUCH AS freedom of opinion. For example, could be seen to reinforce it as ENVIRONMENTALISTS –WHO geographers, economists or sociologists will never write a science in its own right or, THOUGH NOT SCIENTISTS conversely, to exclude it. about the possibility of life on Obviously, environmental ARE THOUGHT TO BE SO BY other planets; only geologists, studies constitute a pure science, a UNSKILLED JOURNALISTS– chemists, physicists and biologists multidisciplinary one if you will, OR POLITICIANS, LOBBYISTS, will do so. This has enabled us but just as scienti Þ c as particle ECONOMIC AGENTS, ETC.» to differentiate science from physics, ecology, soil science pseudoscience, as far as possible. or organic chemistry. The great However, environmental danger, I stress, of divorcing journalism is moving dangerously environment from the word science is that by becoming away from the path of science. All the research we independent it is not recognized by the public as a have carried out concerning the sources used in science and, therefore, its arguments are subject to environmental journalism con Þ rms they are often of value judgments, like literary or Þ lm critiques and, last ideological nature, such as environmentalists who but not least, environmental journalists are not trained though not scientists are thought to be so by unskilled under the strict ground rules underpinning science journalists or politicians, lobbyists, economic agents, journalism of quality. etc. And, Þ nally, there is something very strange, From the professional viewpoint, the environmental whereby bad journalism uses the odd term expert . It journalist should be, above all, a pure science is curious that such a noun, or adjective, is hardly ever journalist, which implies having excellent knowledge used in science journalism because it masks the source. of physics, chemistry, biology and geology, at least to So, what is an expert?

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 99 the challenge of complexity

XAVIER DURAN similarly, we cannot apply knowledge without taking into account management requirements. This implies he gradual melting of the Arctic, the subse- that environmental proposals, though they may often quent opening of new shipping routes and simply be driven by ethical principles, must also take T easier access to various natural resources com- economic arguments into account. prise a topic that mixes climatology, geology, technol- But take care, this does not mean that they ogy, economics and geopolitics, among other subjects. should be viewed from the traditional economic This is likely to be dealt with by environmental jour- perspective. Part of the work of environmentalists nalists, who also have to discuss other effects of this and environmental reporters is, precisely, to show melting: the future impact on the climate or changes to that misguided economic accounting, sooner or ecosystems and, therefore, ﬁ shing resources, and so on. later, leads to results that are far from those sought This is a good example of the complexity of after. Ecological economics, a ﬁ eld in which we have environmental information and the need for those pioneers working in our country, shows that it is a working is this area to deal with highly diverse topics mistake to consider simply as costs what are actually and not just ecology-related issues. At the same time, investments, ignore certain losses because they have it demonstrates that certain a clear monetary value or forget strategic or economic analyses that consuming certain resources cannot ignore environmental at a particular pace is the same concerns. «THE COMPLEXITY as spending capital without I believe that this interweaving OF ENVIRONMENTAL bothering to recapitalize. of many different topics is the This means you have to explain INFORMATION MIRRORS THE most remarkable aspect of the the value of reducing pollution. challenge facing environmental COMPLEXITY OF OUR SOCIETY In other words, it is not just a journalism, along with its role AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF whim to enjoy cleaner air, but of complementing information ESTABLISHING CLEAR-CUT necessary in order to reduce from other areas –and, often, PLANNING» death and disease, improve even shedding light on issues quality of life and, incidentally, that should be analyzed by reduce the costs incurred due to other specialists–. Environmental healthcare, sick leave, decreased reporting has grown spectacularly in recent years; productivity and payouts for disability, orphanhood or

monographhowever, green wave this does not mean a simple increase in the widowhood. That is, the main aim is to do with ethics amount of media coverage but also an adaptation that but for those who do not understand ethics, we must has led to an increase in complexity. make them see that there are also economic beneﬁ ts. Twenty years ago it was essential to explain the Similar explanations should be given with regard to basics of environmental problems and how to tackle biodiversity and ecosystems. The conservation of them. You had to know what a waste collection natural heritage is an ethical obligation but to forget station was, what caused the greenhouse effect, why that these ecosystems provide a multitude of services the ozone layer was being destroyed and why it was valued in billions of Euros (see www.teebweb.org) is an important. But for a while now, without excluding outrage in economic and practical terms. these explanations, environmental information has The complexity of environmental information had to take a qualitative leap to another level. It must mirrors the complexity of our society and the always be stressed that environmental information difﬁ culties of establishing clear-cut planning. The cannot be limited to pollution, waste, protected debate on the balance of emissions from biofuels species and natural areas. And even when dealing with has partly been generated by the interests of big oil these issues and approaches, they may not be the companies, but has also given rise to consistent and same as before. rigorous studies showing that simple analyses do not Etymologically speaking, ecology means «study always give the right answers. The most likely answer of the house» and economy , «housekeeping». You to this question is «biofuels, yes, but it depends on cannot manage a house without knowing it but, which one and how». On the other hand, despite the

100 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011 Environmental journalism employs this obscure term «expert» to justify something as detrimental to journalism as neutrality, which is never used in science journalism. Thus, for example, it gives voice to so-called climate change «sceptics», which is a scandal equal to reporting disbelief that man was ever on the Moon or those casting doubts on the theory of evolution. These «experts» take refuge in pretentious titles like «director of the institute of such-and-such» to hide their lack of scienti Þ c wisdom, while the journalist Programme header El medi ambient (The environment) on TV3. never speci Þ es how many articles they have published in Nature or if they hold a PhD in oceanography. enthusiasm for certain solutions, such as electric cars, This is turning environmental journalism into we should not forget that great transitions are not pseudo-journalism or, at best, something different made in fi ve or ten years, and that great revolutions from science journalism. Unless we change course, involve making profound changes, not just superfi cial environmental journalism will become a Trojan horse patching up. Explaining all this is not just the work of for those wishing to destroy the planet instead of the green wavegreen environmental journalists alone, but environmental planet-saving device it has been so far. journalists do play an essential role. For example, a content analysis of those that usually It is clear that it is not easy to report and refl ect appear as climate change sceptics in the Spanish on the subject. And less so in modern times, where the most instant, concise and schematic information wins. We run the risk of oversimplifying, ignoring «THE GREAT DANGER OF DIVORCING many nuances and underlying factors, or wanting to ENVIRONMENT FROM THE WORD ‘SCIENCE’ take so many things into account that the message is IS THAT BY BECOMING INDEPENDENT IT IS confused and confusing. Moreover, the public wants irrefutable facts; nuances can be misinterpreted, and NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE PUBLIC AS A SCIENCE» exploited, to say that some phenomena –climate monograph change for instance– are not as clear cut as some say. Another problem facing the environmental reporter is to know how to deal with lobbyists who spread media reveals that they have all studied Humanities biased or misleading information. (i.e. , true scienti Þ c illiterates) ranging from: Antón And fi nally, they have to deal with biased Uriarte (Professor of Geography at the University of information and opinions or simply unsubstantiated the Basque Country, where until recently geography statements made by guest speakers or columnists. and history were studied together and previously Some make really interesting contributions in their belonged to the area of philosophy and liberal arts) fi eld of expertise. But most face the problem of to journalists like Jorge Alcalde (also liberal arts); having to be an expert on earthquakes in Haiti economists (by the way, where do Spanish economists today, speaking about the safety of electricity study botany or ecology?) like Gabriel Calzada or grids tomorrow, and soon after demonstrating political scientists (as if a degree in political science profound knowledge of French regional policy or the had anything to do with natural science), like Bjorn advantages and drawbacks of delaying retirement. Lomborg. These information sources would never be Furthermore, we are talking about repu tedly used by a reliable science journalist, who would resort popular people, who belong to the star review system only to someone quali Þ ed in marine science, physics, and are therefore attributed, as far as the public is chemistry, biology or other natural sciences. And concerned, with a credibility that is not always justly this is what differentiates good journalism from trash deserved. They take advantage of the enormous echo reporting. I hope that in the future environmental and that booms where culture and scientifi c information science journalism will not be differentiated thus. are, unfortunately, often lacking.

Xavier Duran. Science Journalist. Director of El medi ambient Carlos Elías. Professor of Science Journalism. Carlos III University of (The environment) , TV3. Madrid.

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 101 Francisca Mompó. Documentary Work , 2010. «Botanical» series. Graphite, collage on paper, 50 x 70 cm. IN PURSUIT OF TV SCREENING

ENVIRONMENTAL COVERAGE ON THE RISE

Abel Campos Micó

Within the panorama of Spanish television, while private channels devote little time to broadcasting environmental information, TV programmes on the environment are predominant on public channels. These programmes, differing in format and features, show that environmental TV slots can gain a loyal audience, providing appealing content while making it proﬁ table for broadcasting companies.

In March 2010, the great writer Miguel Delibes Setién that devoting time in the form of TV slots to green wavegreen died. This great environmental journalist and novelist specialized programmes on nature, science or ecology of rural life was well versed in the fauna and ß ora of is both intelligent and pro Þ table for media companies, his home, Valladolid. This is mirrored in works like be they public or private. El camino (The road), Diario de un cazador (Diary All these programmes are followed weekly by of a hunter), Las ratas (The rats) or Mis amigas las thousands of viewers, faithful to environmental truchas (My friends the trout). information of quality. To One of the many biographical support this statement, we offer television news reports devoted to two examples. The programme Delibes recalled a brief passage «PRIVATE CHANNELS DO El escarabajo verde unites in which the writer requested NOT SPEND A MINUTE OF around 700,000 spectators every that the press should never stop week (in 1997, the Þ rst year it THEIR TIME ON GREEN OR monograph reporting on rural life and nature. was broadcast, it exceeded one ENVIRONMENTAL SLOTS, He was referring, without doubt, million) and El medi ambient not just to the printed press but WHATEVER YOU WANT TO on TV3 has an average audience also the radio and more modern CALL THEM» of around 340,000 spectators. media, i.e. , the Internet and Each is aired during a different television. daypart. The national TV programme on La 2 is aired ■ WHERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMES on Thursday at 7.30 pm, though considered prime it AIRED? remains far from the time reserved for conquering mass audiences. By contrast, the Catalan TV3 spot If we browse the environmental programming is broadcast from Monday to Friday at 2.20 pm, to offered by different TV channels in Spain, we reach the widest possible audience. Both programmes immediately notice a differentiator: private channels have an outstanding number of viewers, to the extent do not spend a minute of their time on green or that one would think more than one television content environmental slots, whatever you want to call them. manager would see the importance of programming The only programmes devoted to information on environmental information. the environment are broadcast on public television The truth is that these slots continue to be aired, channels, both at a national and regional level. generally, on secondary channels and, sometimes, Examples such as El escarabajo verde (Green beetle), even off-hour. But this also supports their success. on Spanish National TV La 2, El medi ambient (The «Perhaps we are not talking, in the case of television, environment) on Catalan TV3, Espacio protegido of prime-time products, but products with suf Þ cient (Protected area) on Andalusian Canal Sur 2, or Medi audience and, in the case of public television, of ambient (Environment) on Canal 9 Dos, demonstrate products that also satisfy an unmet demand for issues

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 103 that are vital to the public», says José María Montero, director of the news programme Espacio protegido on Andalusias Canal Sur 2. Many of the environmental journalists consulted, who work on television, agree that there is clear public interest in this type of information, but even today the private TV channels have been unable to appreciate it. As pointed out by Xavier Duran, director of TV3s programme El medi ambient: «On other channels, the situation varies, but some show no interest in environmental issues and often fall back on anecdotal or sensationalistic coverage. These issues should be present in meaningful Environmental programmes have a regular following of thousands of debates and we are lacking well-known TV analysts spectators, seeking information about nature and rural setting s. This spread shows different points during the shooting of Medi ambient and commentators related to scienti Þ c or environmental for Canal 9 Dos. issues». Indeed, most directors of both private and public channels, competing within the wide range of television programmes aired on DTTV, are missing «YEAR AFTER YEAR, PUBLIC DEMAND the opportunity of offering this type of programme. Environmental information can compete on a level FOR THESE ISSUES REMAINS UNMET, with any other type of information. This is recognized, AS ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS at least, by Fèlix Tena, coordinator of Valencia TVs BOTH APPEAL TO AND CONCERN Medi ambient : «The non-specialized channels, with a PUBLIC OPINION» variety of programmes offering entertainment news, movies, etc., choose contents that can capture the widest audience, without running any risks and, as is logical in a world as competitive as the audiovisual one, going for programmes that guarantee viewers. But they often forget that the easiest option is possibly the most pro Þ table. Remember that when there was only one television channel in Spain, the nature series El hombre y la Tierra (Man and Earth, directed by Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente) triumphed in prime time».

monographThe rural green wave environment and urban surrounds are of growing importance to society because cities are Þ lling up with populace, bringing new problems, while people ß ee from villages leaving them with a true air of abandonment. Urban-related ecological issues, such as recycling waste, air pollution, light pollution and city noise, the quality and scarcity of the water supply and all the problems caused by climate change, are increasingly present in the minds of individuals within society. Year after year, public demand for these issues remains unmet, as environmental topics both appeal to and concern public opinion. Without going any further, the opinion polls performed periodically by the CIS (Sociological Research Centre) indicate that environmental problems are one of the main current concerns in Spain, even on the same level as healthcare, racism or violence against women. In short, television should address this other reality that the public demands.

104 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011 © José Moya © José Moya © José Moya ■ THE ORIGINS OF GREEN TV

Basically, within the panorama of Spanish television, after 1997 there was a series of programmes that laid the foundations of what constitutes specialised environmental TV reporting nowadays. Obviously, we cannot but recall that pioneering documentary series on the environment and nature in Spain El hombre y la Tierra , which responded to the speci Þ c needs of its time. Its creator, Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, was a great communicator of the environmental cause; in fact, 2010 marked the thirtieth anniversary of his death. In those days, Spain was the richest country in Europe in terms of fauna and ß ora, but few were aware of the great diversity that surrounded them. People in rural and urban areas referred to any plant that bothered them as a «weed» while the term «vermin» was used green wavegreen for any animal, be it furry or feathered, that got in the way of hunting or posed a threat to farming or domestic animals. Spanish TVs El hombre y la Tierra , with its magni Þ cent and very clever script, was the turning point in specialised documentaries on nature and the environment. An awareness of conservation was awoken in many viewers at that time. Some, like Luis Miguel Domínguez, Joaquín Araújo or Carlos Sanz are devoted in body and soul to environmental journalism in the form of documentary series and monograph other audio-visual experiences. After the success of El hombre y la Tierra, there came other pioneers of environmental documentaries, such as Jacques Cousteau and his underwater world or the botanist David Bellamy, who talked about the secret life of plants. Little by little, documentary series by the BBC, National Geographic and Discovery Channel crept onto the second channel of the Spanish public television how they contributed to our siesta! Thanks to these foreign productions we found out almost everything there is know about the African savannah and its wildlife.

■ ON THE TRAIL OF «THE GREEN BEETLE» Many years went by before the Þ rst national programme was produced to broadcast up-to-date environmental information. El escarabajo verde run by Spanish national TV, was born in the spring of 1997. This half-hour spot addresses issues on environment and ecology through documentary reporting. Its goal is to reach a wide audience and, perhaps, one that is not very knowledgeable in

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 105 © Medi ambient © Medi ambient © Abel Campos © Medi ambient these areas. The programme has been running for thirteen years and is broadcast on Thursdays at 7.30 pm. Meanwhile, TV3s micro-spot concept of environmental information, El medi ambient , has been on the air for eighteen years non-stop. Its director, Xavier Duran, thinks this brief format helps engage viewers: «I think the three-minute format, broadcast in a good time slot, maximizes its audience and reduces the risk of boring the viewer.» Could a programme like El medi ambient run without a sponsor? After eighteen years with the same sponsor the answer is clear to Xavier Duran: «Without a sponsor there would be a signi Þ cant loss of revenue, but I think Catalan TV would keep running it.» Catalan TV3s El medi ambient has successful audience ratings, with an average of 340,000 viewers and an audience share of around twenty per cent. October 9 th 1997 saw the birth of Medi ambient on the Canal 9 Dos. The key to the programmes success is its closeness to its viewers, explains its coordinator, Fèlix Tena: «The key to its survival over time is, perhaps, interest in the environmental content, an interest that builds up over time and awakens curiosity about our surroundings, the diversity of our lands, which is often unknown». Medi ambient employs up-to-date reporting, brief news and sections dealing with trees and other plants in just half an hour. Programmes on the environment raise public awareness of the need In Andalusia we meet another colleague working to conserve our natural environment. As well as bringing viewers in the ambit of environmental information, Jose nearer to their own surroundings, these programmes also transport us to exotic or remote settings. This page shows the Medi ambient Maria Montero, director of the 50-minute programme ﬁ lm crew shooting the documentary El río rosado (Pink River) in the Espacio protegido , on Canal Sur 2. This spot is Amazon, and on the next page ﬁ lming Sara, la tigresa del Orinoco broadcast on Saturdays at 8.30 pm. It takes the format (Sara, tigress of the Orinoco), on the Orinoco River in Colombia. of an environmental news magazine, which includes

monographreports green wave and regular sections on travel, environmental education for schools, science, etc. Montero has no «SPANISH TV’S ‘EL HOMBRE Y LA TIERRA’, doubts about the key to its success: «On television WITH ITS MAGNIFICENT AND VERY CLEVER we have to Þ nd that very tricky balance between SCRIPT, WAS THE TURNING POINT IN providing information and entertainment, and in SPECIALISED DOCUMENTARIES ON NATURE the case of public television, we must add a third AND THE ENVIRONMENT» element to these two: provide a public service, which is an added responsibility I personally feel quite happy about. I think one of the keys to the success of Espacio protegido is the right balance among these components .» The programmes discussed thus far are those that strictly qualify as environmental news programmes in Spain. Clearly, among regional television channels there are other spots that address information on the environment and nature incidentally. For example, we Þ nd travel programmes like: La magia de viajar (The magic of travelling) or Chino chano (Little by little) on Aragón TV; Un lugar para la aventura

106 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011 © Julio García Robles © Abel Campos © EDC Natura (A place for adventure) on Castilla-La Mancha TV or Bidaiak (Travel) on Basque ETB. There are also programmes that prioritize information about the country or the sea, which include environmental information, like Aragon TVs Tempero or De la tierra al mar (From land to sea) on Murcias channel 7 and Vivi-lo-mar (Living the sea) on TVG Galicia . On the Balearic Islands television channel, IB3, we Þ nd Balears salvatge (Wild islands), a documentary programme about the wildlife on the islands. There are other programmes that deal strictly with science for its own sake. What is dif Þ cult to understand is that there are other regional television channels that have no specialised programmes whatsoever on the environment or similar information areas, as is the case of Canary islands TV or Telemadrid. We are facing an unremitting extinction process. Some species appear but many others disappear green wavegreen as a result of human activity. Some scientists call the era we live in the «sixth extinction». So far,

«WITHIN THE PANORAMA OF SPANISH TELEVISION, AFTER 1997 THERE WAS A SERIES OF PROGRAMMES THAT LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF WHAT CONSTITUTES SPECIALISED ENVIRONMENTAL TV monograph REPORTING NOWADAYS»

we have not evaluated the environmental damage caused by invasive species though we do know the vast amounts of money the regional and state governments are spending to combat alien fauna and ß ora. Contact with nature makes us feel better, makes us healthier and broadens the mind. A planet where ecological diversity is destroyed will be an impoverished world for its rational inhabitants. A beautiful landscape calms and strengthens the spirit. Nature rejuvenates us, which is quite logical because we were not born to inhabit a gray landscape of cement, iron and glass, but rather forested landscapes, mountains, rivers and valleys. For these and many other reasons, environmental information of quality should have a place on our television sets.

Abel Campos Micó. Journalist specializing in environmental TV reporting. Programme Medi ambient , Canal 9 Dos.

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 107 © EDC Natura © EDC Natura © Toni Tirado © Ferran Toledo scientiﬁ c expeditions aired on the andalusian tv channel: adventure and determination

JOSÉ MARÍA MONTERO So, if we are destined to understand each other, why don’t we understand each other? In most he alliance, or even mere complicity, cases, scientists and journalists do little to reconcile between scientists and journalists is positions, to understand the other, to fi nd out the T uncommon in our country, thus hampering other’s fears and diffi culties and thus seek ways to large-scale scientifi c dissemination. And the paradox help. A few years ago, we embarked upon an initiative of this non encounter is that both groups voice needs to try to build an honest alliance of this kind, with that could be largely satisfi ed by establishing such a journalists working on the programme Espacio partnership, uncommon hitherto. protegido (weekly environmental news programme Scientists need to popularise their work running since 1998 and lasting 60 minutes, broadcast –communicate their queries, challenges, the social on Canal Sur 2 - Radio Televisión de Andalucía) utility of their work, the problems posed and the and researchers at the Biological Station in Doñana © Héctor Garrido EBD-CSIC answers that shed light on them–. They need to national park (EBD - CSIC Spanish National Research air the doubts that research harbours, so they can Council). be understood in appropriate terms. This requires This close relationship, spanning over a decade, something that has been lacking so far: the public’s logically led to outstanding trust developing and in support which, ultimately, translates into strong 2002 we decided to take a step forward and propose political backing. This is where the necessary a pioneering experience in our country. The director resources, both material and fi nancial, come from. In of the Doñana Biological Station (EBD), Fernando short, they need to break free from the closed circles Hiraldo and myself, as editor of the programme in which they all too frequently take refuge, and come Espacio protegido (Protected area) , posed the down from their ivory towers and explain, explain following question: could we produce –together and themselves, to the public. on an equal footing– outreach materials and tools We journalists, on the other hand, are in need of that would be valuable for both? Or, put in another news, novel developments, discoveries, adventures, way, could we develop popular science products that titanic efforts, mysteries... And are these not the would be attractive to TV viewers and, at the same issues that are so often, if not always, interwoven in time, be rigorous and useful for scientists? scientifi c work? In an ever more technical society, In order to answer these questions we agreed on a where everyday life is increasingly linked to scientifi c common territory in which to search for a response, monographfacts green wave and their consequences, we need to recount this a terrain where, a priori , we both felt at home. That novel and powerful dimension of our reality. And tell common territory proved to be scientifi c expeditions, it, yes, appealingly, so that it can be understood by to use a term that everyone identifi es with easily, those for whom science is a dark territory, complex although in reality these are trips that must be made, and unintelligible, taking care, at the same time, not almost daily, by scientists from the EBD to different to betray the rigour with which science is constructed. places in the world within the context of their research projects. By mutual agreement, we chose those trips combining the interests of the scientifi c activity itself with other elements capable of enriching television discourse (the variety of work to be carried out, a link with current events or problems in Spain, cooperation with foreign researchers or even the appeal of the natural settings where they work). We created, and this is the most innovative and daring part of the © Héctor Garrido EBD-CSIC

108 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011 harsh living conditions, failures... Taking advantage of the surprises that may arise, and of the diffi culties involved in making a fi lm of this nature, as another element we could capitalize on in terms of instructive «raw material». Faithful to these principles, we also declined to use a large fi lm crew or sophisticated recording systems. Three people (director, producer and camera/sound operator) with a kit similar to any used to televise a simple press conference. The initiative, which was joined by the Science Park of Granada and the FECYT in 2006, has led to four documentary series broadcast on Canal Sur TV - Canal Sur 2 to date, series that, altogether, cover nine thirty-minute episodes, and four fi fty-minute episodes: El jardín de los vientos (The wind garden expedition to Kazakhstan, 2003), Mauritania, tres colores Filming whales off the Valdes Peninsula, and, below, identifying (Mauritania, three colours expedition to Mauritania, birds in the Pampa, while shooting the documentary El sur infi nito , 2004) 1, El sur infi nito (The infi nite South expedition to wavegreen while on a scientifi c expedition to Argentina. Argentina, 2006) and Planeta Australia (Planet Australia expedition to Australia, Tasmania, 2009). Adventure and scientifi c rigour are not incompatible traits in this original television product. These unusual documentaries emphasize the commitment made by Radio Televisión de Andalucía (RTVA) to popularize science and disseminate projects that seek to gain knowledge and protect our natural heritage, making this endeavour attractive to the general public and, particularly, to younger viewers. Apart from being broadcast on Andalusian public monograph television channels, the documentaries are also 2

© Héctor Garrido EBD-CSIC available on Internet and many schools request their projection for educational purposes. experience, a joint working team, thus giving up the We focus on an informational product that does traditional model (a television crew, looking on from not relinquish the element of entertainment but the outside, documenting the work of scientists does not allow itself to be hijacked by it. And let’s according to their instructions). We agreed on a not forget that all this effort is being made by public formula in which all work was done jointly and on institutions. Two seemingly distant institutions, the an equal footing, from start to fi nish, from the very CSIC and RTVA, have found common ground to design of the trip to the writing and putting together educate, disseminate, entertain, inform, surprise and, if of the fi nal scripts. So as reporters, we had to soak up I dare say, promote careers in science and journalism. the conditions under which the scientists’ work was designed and executed, and they also had to put their José María Montero Sandoval. Journalist specializing in environmental information. Director of Espacio protegido (Canal Sur 2 - RTVA). Director lives on the line, to cater for our needs and adapt to of the International Seminar on Journalism and Environment (Córdoba). them. In short, the idea was to document the expedition 1 Prize for best Spanish production at the International Festival of Nature as is, from within, in real time, under the same and Television. conditions in which it takes place, without dramatizing 2 The latest documentary: Planeta Australia: los archivos de la Tierra , can nor avoiding diffi culties, accepting time-outs, the be viewed at this link:

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 109 monograph green wave

The work of nature photographers takes place in settings and under conditions that differ greatly from those of other photographers, such as studio photographers or photojournalists. To capture wildlife and natural habitats often involves dealing with difﬁ cult situations –for both the photographer and the photographic equipment– as in this example, photographing a sand storm on a beach in the frozen Falkland Islands. © Eulàlia Vicens

110 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011 NATURE’S IMAGE

THE ROLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND REPORTING

Oriol Alamany green wavegreen

Nature photographers capture landscapes and animals or plant species for posterity, which subsequent generations may otherwise be unable to see. Their work provides valuable testimony of our natural wealth, as well as being an important tool of scientiﬁ c ﬁ eldwork. This article reviews the origins of nature photography and how photographers’ work stands today. monograph

«BACK AT THE BEGINNINGS OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY, NATURALIST ILLUSTRATORS WERE AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF ANY FIELDWORK OR EXPEDITION THAT SET OFF IN THE SEARCH FOR NEW LANDS, PLANTS AND ANIMALS»

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 111 The widespread notion that a picture is worth a thousand words has always been present in the relationship between man and nature. Even at the dawn of mankind, cave dwellers felt the need to graphically capture the animals they saw or hunted in order to show them to the other members of their tribe. Cave paintings and petroglyphs are an amazing phenomenon found the world over, whether in the caves of the Mediterranean lands or the con Þ nes of South America, the Sahara or in faraway Australia. Those images show scenes of wildlife in nature that are not unlike what todays photographic essays published in magazines might show. Back at the beginnings of scienti Þ c discovery, naturalist illustrators were an essential component of any Þ eldwork or expedition that set off in the search of new lands, plants and animals. They accompanied the naturalists, immortalizing the new species they

discovered in drawings and paintings. It was not until y n a m a

1816 that the Frenchman Nicéphore Niepce succeeded l A

l o i

in taking the Þ rst photographs. It seems the Þ rst to r O

use this new medium to capture natural elements © was the Englishman William Henry Fox Talbot, who There is nothing like a picture to examine the physical features of started taking pictures of ß owers, leaves and feathers an animal in detail, such as the young bearded vulture ( Gypaetus in 1839. As of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, barbatus ). Photographs of this endangered species were used in the eighties to study the bird’s plumage moulting process. photography became popular and grew to be an indispensable tool for scienti Þ c documentation. Unfortunately, nowadays some of those animals embodied in sepia ink on the walls of caves, or depicted on the pages of natural history manuscripts, are no more. Similarly, now all that remains of certain species such as the Tasmanian wolf ( Thylacinus cynocephalus) or the Quagga zebra (Equus quagga quagga) , which

monographsome of the green wave Þ rst photographers managed to capture live, are some stuffed specimens or a few photographs. A valuable legacy for future generations to realize what has been lost. Todays nature photographers are the heirs to those pioneers in image, and currently they are also capturing landscapes and wildlife species for posterity, which the next generation might not otherwise be able to see. r e l l e K

PHOTOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

■ . J

. E

Throughout history, scientists have frequently © Throughout history, mankind has brought about the extinction used photography for the documentary record of of many animal and plant species. In many cases, all that remains reality it provides (or should provide). For instance, of them is a skeleton or an illustration by former naturalists. But in the eighties, Catalan ornithologists used series nothing is more shocking than to see actual photographs of species of photographs taken of the bearded vulture and like the Quagga zebra or the Thylacine (Tasmanian wolf), which became extinct during the last century. This photograph, taken in Bonellis eagle in ß ight as the basis for their work and 1906 at the Washington Zoo, is a valuable testimony of some of the illustrations showing the progressive stages of plumage last living specimens of this enigmatic marsupial wolf ( Thylacinus of these birds of prey, a natural process hitherto little- cynocephalus ), declared extinct in 1936.

112 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011

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Little did William Henry Jackson, pioneer photographer, imagine that the photographs he took in 1871 as part of a scientiﬁ c expedition to the American West would lead to the Yellowstone National Park becoming the world’s ﬁ rst National Park. His pictures were shown to members of the U.S. Congress, leading to the designation of this protected natural area in 1872. Many of his pictures, like this one of Yellowstone Falls, were stereoscopic, i.e., taken with a camera with two lenses, which could then be seen in three dimensions through a simple visor device. 3D images are not a modern invention.

known. The photographs were published in scienti Þ c have proved useful, publicizing the project in a variety monograph papers and consulted by specialists to calculate the of places. approximate age of birds observed in nature. On other occasions, photography has acted ■ PHOTOGRAPHY’S ROLE IN REPORTING AND as witness, verifying the observation of unusual DEFENDING NATURE species or recording rarely observed behaviour, such as chimpanzees using tools. Similar works by In todays society, the image wields remarkable photographers, who often spend in ß uential power. Professional endless hours in a hideout to photographers raise societys photograph an animal, have led to awareness of the progressive the discovery of certain relevant «NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS deterioration of our planet and facts. During expeditions to remote CAPTURE LANDSCAPES AND the beauty it still holds through lands, often the plants or animals ANIMALS OR PLANT SPECIES their photographic reports of photographed would turn out to be FOR POSTERITY, WHICH natural ecosystems or endangered unknown to Science, or thought animal species, published in SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS to have been missing for decades. books and magazines or broadcast In reports published in journals, MAY OTHERWISE BE UNABLE via other media. This affords it photographers often re ß ect the TO SEE» a central role when it comes to Þ eldwork and protection projects raising public awareness of the carried out by biologists, showing importance of nature. society the effort and worth of their work. On a There have been many cases, and I believe there will personal note, I have spent over a decade photographing be even more, where images have gone beyond mere the work carried out in a project to reintroduce the disclosure somehow making us feel a deep admiration falcon in the city of Barcelona, and the images obtained and respect for something by knowing it better.

2011 MÈTODE Annual Review 113 Personally, I went from studying and photographing birds of prey and wildlife in the Pyrenees to participating actively in the creation of study groups and the defence of nature. Fortunately there are quite a few photographers who, in our relationship with the natural environment, have gone beyond the mere act of photographing it and have become involved in its defence and protection. In some cases, the photographers work has been crucial to the preservation of a speci Þ c nature reserve. In the 140 years of the history of photography there are many examples: the best known is the case of the photographs taken by, the American, William Henry Jackson (1843-1942) during a geological expedition to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. Those images were crucial for members of the United States Congress to declare the creation of the Þ rst national park in the world, in 1872. On recognizing the valuable contribution made by photographers, the National Park Service of the U.S.A. ruled that photography should be facilitated and enhanced in these protected natural areas. Somewhat contrary to what happens in countries like ours where, often, rangers and park managers see the photographer as an annoying intruder. In the U.S.A. there is a long tradition of photographers linked to conservation. An author as well known as Ansel Adams took advantage of his fame to write to governors, and even to the countrys president, complaining about the environmental damage he discovered in the course of his work. In the nineteen-sixties, the photographer Eliot Porter published an awe-inspiring book called The Place No One Knew . He published pictures he had taken

monographof Glen Canyon green wave in Colorado, an exceptional place in the Utah desert, just before was totally ß ooded by reservoir waters in 1963. The book became the ultimate tribute to a place man had destroyed, one which later © Eulàlia Vicens Thanks to the research and observation made by some nature generations would never know. The impact of the photographers, new animal species have been discovered, or book is still resounding today; in fact, a few years ago presumably extinct species have been rediscovered, and little- it was reissued and now the Glen Canyon Institute known behaviours documented. Such documentary work and is requesting that the dam should be destroyed, to subsequent public dissemination helps to raise awareness of the need to protect certain valuable natural landscapes. partially recover that magni Þ cent landscape. Something similar to what occurred in Yellowstone National Park happened in Doñana, in the Þ fties, and in Monfragüe, in the eighties, nature reserves in Spain where this task of awareness raising was decisive in making their exceptional value known abroad, thereby «BEHIND EVERY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPH halting the progressive destruction of these ecosystems THERE ARE MANY HOURS OF STUDY by National administration. Thus the scientists J. A. Valverde, in Doñana, and Jesus Garzon, in Monfragüe, AND KNOWLEDGE, WORK, EFFORT, COLD understood the issue, seeking photographers as allies to OR HEAT, EXHAUSTION AND ECONOMIC help them in their work, knowing the bene Þ cial effect INVESTMENT»

114 Annual Review MÈTODE 2011 which was partially responsible for its subsequent protection. And one cannot underestimate the impact of the striking images of bears and wolves in magazines, books, posters and calendars, helping to redeem these two species that have traditionally been abhorred by mankind. Canon, the photography company, provides a curious example of how the worlds most endangered species appear in advertising published in the American edi- tion of National Geographic for neigh on thirty years. Each advert shows an endangered animal species in a photograph with a caption commenting on its current situation, thus reaching the widest audience possible. This series has ended up being a classic and is still published today. There are many photographers who sometimes give away their work, free of charge, to environmental NGOs to collaborate on numerous projects for green wavegreen conservation and nature study. Countless are the campaigns defending natural beauty spots or species that are illustrated by the altruistic work of the photographers! In 1997, Fernando Bandín and I headed a project run by SEO-BirdLife. It involved the publication of a book on the history of nature photography ( Fotógrafos de la naturaleza ), the proceeds of which were used to acquire land for conservation in the Delta del Ebro, an important wetland area in Catalonia. Most of the photographers participating from all around the world gave their monograph images for free. The International League of Conservation Photographers (www.ilcp.com), set up in 2005, is the latest attempt to combine photography with conservation. iLCP was conceived from the idea that unless people have a sensory relationship with the target to be saved, it is dif Þ cult to establish an emotional bond. For many people, the only experience of wild animals is limited to one they may have had in it would (and did) have in protecting these areas. Today a zoo. Some striking images of endangered species or both sites are protected as registered National Parks. habitats can be highly persuasive and the idea behind Another place with a long tradition of iLCP is to make sure conservation campaigns are conservationist photographers is the island of illustrated with good and compelling images. Tasmania. In the eighties and nineties, photographers Behind every wildlife photograph there are many Olegas Truchanas and Peter Dombovskis actively hours of study and knowledge, work, effort, cold or collaborated in an effort to preserve certain spots on heat, exhaustion and economic investment. How can this Australian island, which hydroelectric exploitation one properly assess the value of a photograph of a plans were set to destroy. Both eventually died in vulture eating a bone in a snowy winter landscape, different accidents while engaged in photographing or shots of a far-off almost inaccessible location? Its wild natural spaces. value is incalculable, like the contribution that nature With particular reference to animal species, a good photographers have made and will make to defending example is the monograph published in 1933 by the and studying the environment. Swedish photographer Bent Berg on the Indian rhino, Oriol Alamany. Nature Photographer. Barcelona.

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