An analysis of a brownlash report

Addressing the ecological crisis depends on there being a public consensus as to its severity and sufficient public concern to motivate political action. A significant influence on public representations of ecological issues is what has been termed the brownlash, which works to minimize the seriousness of ecological problems and to fuel a backlash against environmental regulations. In this paper, we provide a critical analysis of a representative example of brownlash writing. The selected report has been published in several editions and has received favourable notice in mainstream media. We assess the means by which this report arrives at its conclusions, including the report's narrow scope and various problematic omissions. We then assess the report's analysis of its 10 selected indicators and identify the various means by which it downplays ecological problems. We conclude by suggesting that brownlash interventions in public discourse are a problem that should concern and engage ecological economists.