There are bound to be on-line definitions for the term environmental communications (which approximates green communications). I would like to add one definition, and that is:   the mode and practice by which we express ideas which have a bearing on the environment, globally or locally, and which include all media, visual, aural, print media, education, pitches and campaigns, social marketing, by which we have a dialogue about the environment (and I have since added this addendum - not driven by a profit motive.  I would call any environmental communications driven predominantly by pecuniary interest to be green marketing, specifically).    

There are several different branches of environmental communication - the first I call the more academic field of peer-reviewed environmental communication which I think is represented by organisations such as the International Environmental Communications Association,  Ecomedia Studies, and others.  These bodies all have websites or blogs dedicated to sharing of theories about environmental communications, researching and writing of articles and the running of courses. 

Then there is the second branch of environmental communication concerned with behaviour change - represented by campaign, education and policy groups (NGOs, schools, and government).  These groups are also interested in imparting education and participating in forums and analysis of the problems at hand, and critically interested in social marketing and ensuring that society adapts to the ever-pressing demands of climate change, habitats declining, resource depletion and the like. 

These two branches are concerned with left brain (rational, logical, linear) styles of communication and of participating in research/ dissemination of theory and the solving of environmental problems faced by humanity. 

I would say these two branches regard the objects of their research as being the environment, habitats, and the subjects as being the behaviour change participants in the environmental world namely the consumer, indeed each and every one of us.   

There is a cross over between what these groups are aiming to achieve, but I believe there is a newer, emerging field of environmental communication which adopts a right brain approach, which looks at the communicator as an equally important subject and participant in the environmental game.   

This is the field I am interested in and the many and various ways we can adapt our styles of communicating to suit the context.   This branch is more concerned  with HOW as well as WHAT we communicate.   Some headings I feel this field of communication will fall under are visual imagery for greening up (eg eco cartoons), green humour, eco-screen dream, eco-creativity (clever campaign ads), making sustainability fun, and other headings discussed throughout this blog, and website and in the online community.  The aims of this third branch of environmental communication certainly overlap with the aims of the first two. This third branch is more concerned with asking both questions (HOW best to express the message, and WHAT do we say) and not necessarily about having all the answers, at our fingertips.   

Using our imaginations, instincts, emotive and sensual responses to fashion our styles of communication we are loathe to say - there is ever going to be one solitary answer to the questions we ask, as it will so greatly depend on the context.  

Thank you to people who have been writing in with comments on liking the website.  

That is great.  Also, it would be wonderful if you had ideas or games to share,   for promoting sustainability in a new, fun or inventive way.  Or it might be a fun educational story told, or even some performance art. These can appeal to children, or appeal to adults as well.    

The idea can be as basic as the 'Carrot Man Mystery continues' extracted from I think it was the Melbourne Times (sorry date and page weren't noted at the time, but you can find it on the web).  It seems the Melbourne carrot man has been getting a lot of 'airplay' in newspapers and on twitter holding an enormous papier mache carrot.   Now one question (of course) was why does he walk around the suburbs of Melbourne bearing a giant carrot?... Well, actually, I think it's great that we are asking questions and by asking questions we come up with new answers and new outlooks on what we are communicating, and how.  

I think the carrot could represent lots of things,  eating a whole foods diet, becoming a productive gardener, enjoying the simple things of life (go to the living simply website perhaps), but I love the simplicity of it. Does Mr Carrot Man want to be the next eco-celebrity? Is this just an eco-stunt? Any other ideas. Tut ... tut .... Do we need to be so cynical by labelling something 'just a stunt'? Let's talk things up instead of down. So when thinking about environmental education or campaign ideas, it is not just about what we do to help the environment, but also it's about how we sell (and uphold) that idea.   

Speaking of carrots, on my bloomingandbold.blogspot I wrote about this Tree Project. The project involves encouraging and enlisting people to grow seedlings on their urban property for transplanting to reforest rural properties.  (I've long had an interest in the connections between rural and urban landscapes, and how we can take lessons from one to aid the other). 

Anyway,  I thought a possible banner for the project could be 'Training Wheels for Trees'.  This is a catchy way of describing the project, and taglines or headlines like this are a way of attracting a broader spectrum of interest from newcomers.  We environmentalists are getting better at using visual imagery and catchier campaign labels.    
  

Forgive me, but I may have posted these videos in the past, but the cold weather here in Melbourne means all the blood is trying to get to my extremities, and not so much going to the brain:

These are a couple of my favourite green campaign Ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfawHPvq5gI 

(from the Outsmart Invasive Species Project)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmdAJrXLnns 

(from Green Peace: Until the Sun Shines out of your xxx (censored to be polite), use an energy efficient light bulb, instead’  - Warning – Video may cause offence!!

What I like about these Ads is that they are amusing or light-hearted, they are introducing a green topic in language most people can understand, they therefore get the message across effectively, they tell a story, and having characters we can either identify with or like, they arouse empathy.   The second one is particularly catering to young people who are amused easily where bums, body parts or anything rude is concerned!    

Now politicians are recalling how they are inspired in their political platforms and communications by the music they grew up with.  In the case of Wayne Swan, Federal Treasurer (Aust.)  He has been talking a lot about Bruce Springsteen, and how he lives his life  guided by Springsteen's messages about the 'working class man'. 

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3558688.htm 

Perhaps we need to be using music in our campaigns more, just like they used to do in war-time to inspire people to take up helping out with the war-effort (and getting young men to sign up!)

I talk a little about the importance of art and music in our campaigns in my book (though I am speaking of campaigns of an environmental nature).  Any medium which has a way of tapping in to the consciousness of our audience, drumming up empathy, and generally improving your overall P.R is worthy of consideration.  No doubt Wayne Swan (and his daughter) has caught on to this.