Episode 38: Of Greenwashing and 'Hipster Nations'
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Description
This episode looks at the role of environmental policy as a component of international image and the question of whether countries are following corporations and ‘greenwashing’: laying claim to environmental reputations that they don’t deserve. Cases discussed include Australia, the US and the countries of the Middle East, stuck with a reliance of fossil fuel extraction. Simon argues that whatever the reality the simple fact of the conversation around sustainability is positive as it contributes to a global bandwagon effect by which taking care of the environment is universally expected. Simon also suggests that a middle tier of what he calls 'Hipster Nations' which emphasize the environment has now emerged -- New Zealand, Costa Rica, Chile, Slovenia and so forth -- and are changing the global conversation. Nick looks at the long arc of environmental issues in post-Cold War propaganda and wonders what issues emerging today will be critical to reputations in the future.
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