"How Visual Communication is essential to diagnosing Climate Crisis and envisioning a Just Transition"
This webinar, which was hosted by EE Business Intelligence, took place on 20 September 2021
It was moderated by Chris Yelland, Managing Director, EE Business Intelligence
Panelists
- Thomas Mnguni, Community Activist, groundWork; and Co-founder of the Highveld Environmental Justice Network and Greater Middelburg Residents Association.
- Mandy Rambharos, General Manager: Just Energy Transition, Eskom Holdings; and Commissioner, Presidential Climate Commission.
- Mike Levington, Director, Navitas Holdings; Deputy Chair, BUSA Energy Subcommittee; and member of the DTIC Green Hydrogen Panel.
Details
This webinar looked at the way that visual communication has informed the diagnosis of climate crisis in the last decades, and the role it continues to play in raising awareness, focusing public opinion and building up support for a just transition. It sought to convince attendees that specialised and expert visual communications are a vital tool to realising a sustainable future, and that one of the reasons the public is not sold on the idea is precisely because such a future seems so nebulous and intangible.
Audio/video recording of the webinar
The audio/video recording of the webinar can be viewed here
Links to videos and pictures presented at the webinar
The book
Daylin Paul’s photographic work on the subject is encapsulated in a beautiful coffee-table book entitled: "Broken Land" - by Daylin Paul, ISBN 378-1-4314-2908-0, published by Jacana Media in 2019. The book would make a perfect Christmas gift for the environmentally concerned, and can be ordered here directly from Daylin Paul, with a personalised inscription from the author, at a price of R450 including postage in South Africa.
For further information, see below.
Background
The first 30-minutes of the webinar comprises a guided slideshow through photographs and interviews made for the Broken Land project. This shows participants what the situation is like on the Mpumalanga highveld: showing not only the destruction left in the wake of coal mining and burning in the region but also the long lasting effects on the health and socio-economic conditions of citizens of the province. This is intended to set the tone of the rest of the presentation and provide a glimpse into one possible future for us all if decisive action is not taken.
The second 30-minutes looks at historical examples of how this kind of media campaign coupled with policy change has worked, with specific focus on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s policies in the depression era in the USA. It goes on to look at the how a strategic use of communications can be used to amplify the voices of citizens who are deeply dissatisfied with a coal dependent economy, to highlight and promote the benefits of developing a robust renewable energy sector and finally, to convince policy makers to reconsider the choices they have made so far. This is meant to show how bold policy decisions, backed up by effective communications, can make drastic change possible.
The final 30-minutes comprised a panel discussion unpacking some of the issues detailed above, as well as providing an opportunity to consider and discuss some of the practical implications as to what may be necessary for an effectively envisioned and communicated just transition to take place.
Attendance
Prior to the webinar at 11h00 on Monday 20 September 2021, there were 502 online registrations for the webinar. All persons who registered to attend the webinar will receive this report-back, providing links to view the video recording on demand, and other embedded videos and pictures.
For further information, contact Chris Yelland, EE Business Intelligence, chris.yelland@ee.co.za
To order your copy(ies) of "Broken Land", please contact Daylin Paul, daylin@daylinpaul.com, https://www.daylinpaul.com