Read & think about this essay: “What Will It Mean to Be Green? Envisioning Positive Possibilities without Dismissing Loss” by Cheryl Hall posted on doc sharing. Incorporate your answers to these questions in your essay.
¬ What is framing?
¬ What difference do different kinds of frames/stories make in motivating action to change the way we live?
¬ What is her criticism of various frames for the environmental crisis?
¬ What frame does she think is best? [hint: “sacrifice”]
Consider each of the frames we have studied:
¬ What ethical frame is best: Duty, Utilitarian, Virtue?
¬ Anthropocentric or ecocentric?
¬ Enlightenment or Romanticism? (Cronin)
¬ Spiritual or Religious?
¬ Ecofeminist?
¬ Anti-racist?
¬ Gloom & doom (impending tragedy; pessimism) or sunny (sustainable development; optimism)?
Debate Prompt: How should the environmental situation be framed?
Write a one page essay to read aloud in the debate. To succeed on you must:
1. Briefly define a frame and state why it is important for environmental ethics.
2. Take a side and state your position/thesis/conclusion. For example, “In this paper I will argue that the best way to frame the environmental situation is with a [ fill in the blank ].”
3. Present, explain and describe the best environmental frame. You may select your criterion for “best” according to the audience you hope to persuade.
4. Make an argument for your position. Use assigned text to support it your position.
5. Contrast the frame you selected with an alternate frame.
6. Make an argument for the advantage of your frame over the alternate.