If our students are to become geographers who make a difference, they will need to understand the nuances of arguments based on environment values and how these affect policy and public attitudes. This session uses recent contestation concerning proposed new powerlines and associated pylons across East Anglia and other regions as a starting point, to examine how discourse analysis can provide a valuable approach to deep learning. The key concepts discussed can be applied to wind and solar farms, as well as a wider set of environmental discourses. The focus will be on ‘environmental values’ as a discursive resource. It will examine how individuals and groups use language (and imagery) strategically, to authenticate their own account and to denigrate opposing views.
