Environmental Philosophy and Communication

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID:  HCOM 349
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This affordable learning resource is being utilized in a HCOM 349 course for undergraduate students by Professor Patrick Belanger at California State University Monterey Bay. The affordable resources chosen for this course provides students access to two high quality online resources directly related to class objectives, and also a zero – cost scholarly textbook that offers core theoretical frameworks. The main motivation to adopt affordable resources is to make student learning more accessible. Students can access these OER resources online and through the CSUMB library website.

Course Title and Number - Environmental Philosophy and Communication - HCOM 349
Brief Description of course highlights:  This class explores diverse environmental philosophies, and traces contemporary environmental groups’ use of strategic communication. We study digital campaigns, branding tactics, public education programs, and theories of environmental justice. The course highlights a range of regional, national, and global case studies such as food systems, gas pipeline construction, commercial fish farms, climate change, and freshwater politics. Emphasizes the rhetorical foundations of environmental thought.  https://catalog.csumb.edu/search_advanced.php?cur_cat_oid=12&ecpage=1&cpage=1&ppage=1&pcpage=1&spage=1&tpage=1&search_database=Search&filter%5Bkeyword%5D=HCOM+349&filter%5B3%5D=1&filter%5B31%5D=1

Assigned Textbook (optional): Pezzullo, P. and Cox, R., Environmental communication and the public sphere (7th edition), Sage Publications, 2025. 

Student population: This course is primarily for third or fourth year HCOM majors. Some HCOM majors take the course as it meets the department’s Research and Theory Intensive course requirement. Many students (including those beyond HCOM) take the course because they are drawn to the subject matter.

Learning or student outcomes:  Research and theory intensive (Department of Humanities & Communication)

Assigned Textbook (optional):  Pezzullo, P. and Cox, R., Environmental communication and the public sphere (7th edition), Sage Publications, 2025. 

Challenges and Solutions:  The key challenge was identifying relevant online resources that offer students a set of contemporary case studies surrounding environmental philosophy and/or communication, as well as a zero–cost, high–quality scholarly textbook.  

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process

Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option.  My primary motivations are to save students money, and also add additional, relevant case studies to illustrate course concepts.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course?  I first searched Libretexts for relevant materials, and then decided to work with CSUMB librarians to identify a suitable book that can be placed on course reserve. Because CSUMB offers free access to the New York Times, I am assigning several articles from that source, as well as several from the zero–cost Guardian website.

Sharing Best Practices: Seeing as students have free access, I encourage other faculty to make use of the New York Times. I also suggest that other faculty ask about the possibility of finding textbook licenses so that students can access books for free via the library website.

Describe any key challenges you experienced, how they were resolved  and lessons learned. There are many options for a textbook in this specific class. It was difficult to make a final decision. I will continue to coordinate with CSUMB librarians with the hope of locating one or more additional textbook that the library can purchase a digital license for. Course reserves are a good option. However, digital licenses provide still greater student access to course materials. 

Instructor Name - Patrick Belanger, Professor at California State University Monterey Bay. 
Please provide a link to your university page.

https://researchprofiles.csumb.edu/en/persons/patrick-belanger

Please describe the courses/course numbers that you teach.  I teach courses in the areas of media, culture, and ethics.  I teach a set of classes that include: critical thinking & ethics, free speech & responsibility, environmental philosophy & communication, communication in everyday life, interracial communication, restorative justice, and multicultural conflict resolution.

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching.   To create a welcoming learning environment for all, at the start of each course I introduce five core principles and practices: 1) kindness and respect (I engage students as motivated adults), 2) transparency (we collectively agree on objectives and methods), 3) a discussion-focused classroom environment (we commit to shared readings and norms of interaction), 4) research and writing (our central focus is the creation of theoretically-informed written work), and 5) collaborative group work, including multi-step peer review. My ultimate aim is to enhance students’ abilities to interpret and write with fluidity and nuance. I have found that two specific strategies tend to inspire motivation. First, I employ real-world examples to illustrate abstract theories. Second, I encourage students to research topics that align with their personal interests and/or experiences.

Textbook or OER/Low cost Title:  Hendry, J., Communication and the natural world (2nd edition), Strata 2020

Brief Description:  A textbook that offers a concise summary and explanation of several core theories in the field of environmental communication. High quality, zero–cost online sources that offer detailed case studies in the area of environmental philosophy and communication.

Please provide a link to the resource  
Guardian UK: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/environment

NYT case studies (free access for students): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/27/us/klamath-dam-removal-salmon.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&ngrp=ctr&pvid=07079CC7-07D6-4875-9A27-1D661B7649B1

https://csu-mb.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma993876010902923&context=L&vid=01CALS_UMB:01CALS_UMB&lang=en&search_scope=DN_and_CI&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Hendry,%20J.,%20Communication%20and%20the%20natural%20world%20(2nd%20edition)&offset=0 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/environment

https://www.nytimes.com/ca/section/climate 

Authors:  Hendry, J.

Student access:  Students will access most of the above resources online, and via the CSUMB library.

Supplemental resources:  This is not yet assured, however I am considering using one or more chapters from a Libretext book, The Environment in the Age of the Internet (Graf) https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Journalism_and_Mass_Communication/The_Environment_in_the_Age_of_the_Internet_(Graf)/00%3A_Front_Matter/03%3A_Table_of_Contents 

Although this can’t be guaranteed every semester, I have had success inviting local experts to join the class as guest speakers. Past guests include: President of the Big Sur Land Trust, President of the Ventana Wildlife Society, Park Ranger for Point Lobos State Park, Director of Fisheries & Aquaculture Policy, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Communications expert for Greenpeace USA. 

Provide the cost savings from that of a traditional textbook.  Approximately $135 per student.