Polly Parakeet

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Polly Parakeet

Part I

Polly Parakeet could employ a number of strategies to persuade the council members to vote against the pink water bottle company. One of the strategies is to be clear and concise in her presentation with the board. Polly should make her presentation by including some anecdotes to make the council members nostalgic of the years before when it was a regular laid back rural community. She should highlight some of the significance of keeping the mining company at bay. She should avoid coming off as one of the newly settled former city dwellers that does not care about the rural community. Polly should remind the council men that she is one of them and that putting up the mining company would transform the rural community to look like one of the many city suburbs. She should paint herself as one of the original dwellers of the area to gain their support.

Part II

Image 1: Proposed Facebook Poster

Sourced from: https://mg.co.za/article/2018-05-08-how-to-ensure-communities-living-near-mining-activities-get-a-better-deal/

This poster shared shows how mining and the equipment that accompanies it can destroy a natural scenery and view such as the sunset that we take for granted. The large mining equipment is just one of the many eyesores that come with mining. They will dot the entire community and we will have to say goodbye to our previously idyllic and enviable way of life. If the equipment does not get in your way then the brown and gold dust will do. It will linger in the atmosphere and make the previously blue clear skies get a new shade of brown and gold. We need to say no to any form of mining in our community.

Image 2: Proposed Instagram Poster

Sourced from: https://www.change.org/p/department-of-environment-and-natural-resources-illegal-mining

Mining does not automatically translate to better life for the community. The few benefits that it brings to the community in the form of employment, and more taxes to the local council and government do not match the drawbacks that accompany them. Mining could be equated to death of the community and people who live in the community. There is the issue of pollution and the toxic waste that will find its way into our farmlands and waterways. The whole council and other elected representatives should say no to mining and yes to life. Anyone that supports mining directly supports the death of our community.

Image 3: Proposed Twitter Poster

Souced From: https://www.shutterstock.com/search/illegal+mining

This sign should be placed at the entrance of our community to warn any businesses and corporations that we are not open for business. This should be a symbol of our resistance and our zeal to protect what our forefathers built and protected. It should show that we are willing to ignore financial incentives to ensure that our grand children grow up in an idyllic and clean community free from big-city ills like noise and environmental pollution. We should be a people that value the environment rather than the few corporate dollars that are thrown around to silence patriots that defend the environment.

Image 4: Proposed Fourth Poster

Sourced from: https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/last-mountain

If we are not careful this cover page would be an accurate description of our once beautiful rural community. Mining leaves gaping sores on the earth that tells a sad story of environmental rape and unsustainable exploitation. The beautiful landscapes would be no more as the mining machinery would mercilessly tear down the hills and forests in their desperate quest to access minerals that have been assigned more value than human beings and the environment. If we give a go-ahead to the mining company then we should not forget to take pictures of our landscape and the beautiful hills. These will be used as reference points when narrating to our grandchildren and their friends how we let a few dollars blind us to sell our invaluable beauty and landscape.

Rationale explaining why the accompanying text has been used

The accompanying text has been used to explain to the social media users the significance of retaining and preserving our environment. The images on their own could be open to different interpretations that may not be properly internalized by all the people who encounter them. The accompanying text makes sure that the message hits home and there is no room for misinterpretation. Except the last image, all the other ones have been devoid of text explaining their purpose. They have mostly been blank images that are open to any form of interpretation. For example, the first image that is designated to be used on Face book, it has a mining rig standing within a beautiful sunset. Without the accompanying words, supporters of mining in the community may use the same image to show that any form of mining or mining equipment installed in the community could still be part of the landscape.

The words accompanying the image designated for Instagram act as a supplement piece of information. This is because the poster is fairly easy to understand. The green parts show what is good for the environment while the bland brown parts show what is harmful for the environment. The words were designed to act as a shock value to the message included in the image. The choice of words including the phrase ‘death for the community’ would startle any person that holds the community dear and make him have a negative attitude towards any form of mining proposals thrown their way. It would help them to see through any public relations exercises that the mining company may employ to win support. The image that is designated for twitter is easy to understand, it only shows a stop to mining. It is a simple symbol that allows its supporters to print them on shirts or make it trend on Twitter to reach many people.

References

Haney, B., Bingham, C., & Grunebaum, E. (2021). The Last Mountain. Zinn Education Project.

Available at https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/last-mountain

Harvey, R. (2018). How to ensure communities living near mining activities get a better deal.

Mail & Guardian. Available at https://mg.co.za/article/2018-05-08-how-to-ensure-communities-living-near-mining-activities-get-a-better-deal/

Jaime, K. (2021). Illegal Mining. Change.org. Available at

https://www.change.org/p/department-of-environment-and-natural-resources-illegal-mining

Shutterstock. (n.d). Illegal mining images. Available at

https://www.shutterstock.com/search/illegal+mining