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Show A Panel Discussion: Are Utah Government and Business Greening? Part Three of the IABC Conference Series only takes 45 minutes. Haws said. by Bill Kilpack Forum editor International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Utahs annual convention featured speakers presenting topics aimed at Communicating Greatness. Richins said, Any company has an obligation to tell its employees and customers how much it spends on preserving the environment. However, this is where problems can creep in. When presenting information, the environmental jargon often aggravates problems. Professional and student IABC members listened to trends in mass communication. These are covered in the four-pa- rt IABC Conference Series. Part Three, The Greening of Business, featured a panel discussion made up of four experts: Joan Gallagher, public information officer for the Department of Environmental Quality; Mitch Haws, director of corporate communications at Geneva Steel; Rod Jackson, en vironmentalOlympic reporter for KTVX and Gary Richins, environmental coordinator at Deseret Generation & Transmis- Getting caught up in the jargon of an issue only complicates the message, he sion Cooperative. The October 1990 issue of Newsweek said, No other issue will dominate business in the 1990s more than the environment But questions remain. Is the environmental movementreal? Does it harm or help the environmental cause? Haws said the environment is an issue that cuts across all audiences. At Geneva, their customers and employees want to know if the company is being responsible when it comes to pollutants. As a result, through advancements in pollutant monitoring, it used to take four hours to check plant emissions and now ment said. Jackson said, People care about the environment; all people consider themselves environmentalists to some degree. A lot of companies begin recycling programs because their employees want it. To this, Haws agreed. At Geneva, $ 1 00 million has been spent on environmental projects. This money would have gone to profit sharing for the employees if they hadnt wanted it to go toward the environEnvironment is a very important issue, Haws said. Unless the company (Geneva Steel) makes a strong commitment to make some changes, it wont have a lot of impact the public wont buy it Jackson said any company will know their weak areas where they will be hit by environmentalists. Gallagher saidgovemmentisdefmitely becoming green, especially in the state bureaus, whereproper school curriculahave been introduced to include environmental programs and workshops being held for fifth graders. Another indication, she said, is this years mass of environmental legislation that passed, more than in recent years. For example, the bill passed allowing a $400 rebate on your taxes if consumers buy a car or have their current vehicle converted to accept natural gas as fuel. There is also now a state shuttle bus for government employees to limit car use. However, according to Gallagher, the problem with air pollution is that only 10 percent of the cars on the road actually contribute to the air pollution problems. When problems over dumping waste arise between the environment and business, she said, the government doesnt have to take sides because there are necessary permits that apply to waste and by natural-ga- s what means it is disposed. 'The legislature changes each year ... such as in the permit area, changing prices for dumping waste, Gallagher said. She said bringing waste to Utah simply because we have a lot of deserts to put it in isnt enough. We just dont want it all. Jackson said the news medias job is itrs to tell the also not to take sides people whats being said. However, somed because times a story may seem it takes too much time to work through a one-side- companys bureaucracy. Jackson said news media are reactive media, moving after the events occur. But with the environment, reporters try to look at things that are going to happen. This is difficult in TV news, because if it hasnt happened yet, its very difficult to go out and get visuals for the cameras, he said. Most people get their information from TV, Jackson said. Unfortunately, because of the problems with visualizing environmental problems, many people wont hear about the problems. Jackson said the environment is not a fair weather topic, that receives coverage only when the news business is booming. The recession has not hurt environmental reporting. According to Jackson, Utah is one of the few news markets in the U.S. where all three major news stations have three environmental reporters each. The environment is the no. 1 or no. 2 problem on peoples minds, because if theyre not worried about their own health, theyre worried about the health of their children, he said. Haws said that when problems arise, the bad news should be handled with proactive statements. Someone else is not going to tell your story for you. If you wait to be asked, someone else will tell your side of the story for you. Jackson agreed, saying that if a company waited to be asked, it may not be asked. Richins said a lot of what people see and read deals with the Greenhouse Effect and that a lot of what power plants emit are carbon dioxide and water vapor, which Continued on Page 1 1 presents The Budweiser "Backstage Pass Concert Series" April 17-- 18, Now appearing 1992 at Corona's Special Guest ( Rock--N R 4410 S. State (Behind St. George oocrotfXQ) Used Cars) $8.00 in advance $10.00 day of show TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: Corona's, Smokeys Records, Music & More, House of Guitars, Wagstaff Music, Jack's Drum & Guitar, The Heavy for more information. Metal Shop or call 968-66- 76 $1.00 off at the door with your "Backstage Pass." Call 968-66- 76 or 359-95- 36 to get yours!! Tuesday, April 14, 1992- -f orum-Pa- ge 3 |
