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13 Environmental

crisis

communications

Learning from the lessons

of the past to maintain

corporate and brand

value

Robert J Oltmanns (United States)

Introduction

Environmental communication is not just for manufacturers anymore.
Nor is it something limited to the nuclear power industry, petrochem-
icals or hazardous waste incineration. Today, environmental steward-
ship is a cornerstone of virtually every business or enterprise.
Understanding and embracing the new era of environmental aware-
ness and consciousness in every corner of the global economy will help
add value to a corporation’s brand, its reputation, and its bottom line.
Environmental communication was born out of necessity in the
wake of a series of industrial disasters that came on the heels of height-
ened public awareness and concern for the environment. The move-
ment that began with Rachel Carson’s seminal book, Silent Spring and
was followed by a raising of global consciousness during the first Earth
Day, was eventually crystallized in the minds of people around the
world with the outcry over nuclear power in the 1970s.