Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

The tension between the local and the global is a microcosm of the interactions surrounding issues of the environment. All environmental problems are local, but still relate to and interact with larger ecological systems as well. This paper will examine rhetorical constructions of the “local” and how they can serve as a bridge for discussions about worldwide issues overall while still preserving the integrity of the local themed message. These insights can help to build a unifying strategy of communication about environmental problems by increasing the understanding of ecological systems and their interrelationships and their connections to social relationships. Such insights can also help counteract the attempts to polarize and diminish efforts to address environmental well being by those who profit from its destruction.