Office for Environmental Programs - Theses

Permanent URI for this collection

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Practical environmentalism' or public relations? The Australian Environment Foundation and Environmental debate in Australia

Caufield, Lauren ( 2007)

This paper critically examines the activities and strategies of the newly formed Australian Environment Foundation (AEF) as a case study of pro-industry groups engaged in influencing public perception, opinion and policy around environment issues in Victoria and nationally. Tracking and evaluating the organisation's current strategies, it examines in detail its industry links, funding, ideological background, structure and key players, together with its ongoing and developing campaigns, materials, objectives, media coverage and outcomes. Arguing that AEF constitutes a `front group,' this paper asserts that unlike its issue specific predecessors in the front-group movement in Australia, the organisation presents a new multi-issue agenda, spanning logging and mining issues, climate change, genetic modification and a host of environmental debates, together with broader attacks on the environment movement and existing environment groups. As such, The AEF represents an important shift in green backlash and the emerging anti environment movement in Australia.