Industrial Apocalyptic

Jen Schneider, Steve Schwarze, Peter K. Bsumek, Jennifer Peeples

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

“Industrial Apocalyptic” examines the US coal industry’s “War on Coal” campaign. Noting that environmentalist voices are consistently associated with apocalyptic rhetoric, the authors argue that this association deflects attention from “industrial apocalyptic,” the apocalyptic rhetoric that comes from industry and its supporters. Industrial apocalyptic rhetoric articulates the shared fear that environmental regulation may lead to economic catastrophe and collapse of the American way of life. The chapter shows how industrial apocalyptic rhetoric relies on a burlesque frame in order to denounce violations of traditional principles, ridicule opposition, and manufacture precarity in order to thwart environmental regulation. Industrial apocalyptic co-opts environmentalist appeals for radical change in the service of blocking such change and naturalizes neoliberal ideology as the common-sense discourse of the center.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPalgrave Studies in Media and Environmental Communication
Pages25-50
Number of pages26
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016

Publication series

NamePalgrave Studies in Media and Environmental Communication
ISSN (Print)2634-6451
ISSN (Electronic)2634-646X

Keywords

  • Coal Industry
  • Environmental Movement
  • Environmental Regulation
  • Rhetorical Strategy
  • Traditional Principle

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