Lead, An Invisible Terror

thomasjasengardner

Senior

Life Science Communication

University of Wisconsin-Madison

1800 words

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

tgardner@wisc.edu

608.577.1446

Lead, An Invisible Terror

“I knew I had to protect, love and care for my children, but I could not protect them from lead poisoning, “ said South Madison resident Mary Moore. Her infant son and daughter contacted lead poisoning in 1992 and both have suffered brain damage and continuing physical aliments from lead poisoning.

On January 1^st, 2012, Madison Water Utility will have replaced or removed the city’s 6,000 lateral lead water service pipes with galvanized iron pipes. In addition, 5,000 private property owners will have replaced their curb to meter lead water lines with new piping. The Water Utility Board adopted the nearly $12 million dollar project in 1999 with the cooperation of the City of Madison. “As of this point we have less than 200 curb to house replacements and less then 5 percent of water main to curb service lines to replace,” said Joseph Grande, Madison Water Utility Water Manager.

City water samples in 1997 exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency allowable limits and the Center for Disease Control limits for lead in drinking water. The quality of Madison’s drinking water was cause for an immediate “ action level” of intervention.  In 1999, the EPA, City of Madison, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources effected the Madison’s Lead Water Replacement Ordinance plan to replace lead water service pipes in 10 years under the jurisdiction of the EPA Lead and Copper Rule.       

The rule allocates a national regulation to replace or eliminate lead pipes in city municipalities because of the increasing amount of body lead levels in adults and children.  

The most frequently used metal in home plumbing systems and main public water lateral pipelines since 1926 was lead. Lead in potable drinking water is responsible for upwards of 20 percent of all lead poisoning cases according to the CDC.

“Wisconsin’s children are being poisoned by lead in greater numbers than many other states,” said the 2008 Wisconsin State Report on Childhood Lead Poisoning. The body’s absorption of lead piggybacking in Madison’s water can be as high as 50 percent.

Absorption of lead often occurs with no obvious pinpointed symptoms and may go unrecognized without professional medical tracking.  Most of the dysfunctions produced by lead are due to lead's ability to mimic and inhibit the actions of calcium.  In humans the lead is directly absorbed, distributed, and excreted. Once in the bloodstream lead is distributed throughout the body.  Blood and soft tissue such as kidneys, bone marrow, liver, and brain tissue, and mineralized tissue such as bones and teeth easily absorb and retain lead.

Once lead enters the body it interferes with normal cell function and physiological processes. Some of the physiological effects of lead include harm done to the peripheral and central nervous system, blood cells, metabolism of vitamin D and calcium, and reproduction.

The nervous system seems to be the most sensitive to lead poisoning. Low levels of lead exposure have been proven to reduce cognitive intelligence in a mother’s fetus, infants and young children. The harmful effects on mental development in young children include a reduction in attention span and learning skills.  Lead poisoning is responsible for a lower I.Q. and a host of additional problems that include learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, seizures and even death. Adults exposed to lead poisoning also typically experience kidney problems and high blood pressure.

 Socially aggressive behavior, juvenile delinquency and adult violent crime may also be symptomatic of lead poisoning. “These are identified as outcomes that have correlated lead with negative behavior, “ said John Hausbeck, Environmental Health Supervisor for Public Health of Madison and Dane County.

“Madison must minimize the lead level in tap water in order to meet mandated federal water quality standards,” according to the Madison Water Utility Lead Replacement Program pamphlet. The EPA’s 2009 Safe Drinking Water Act was allocated $2 billion to help finance the 1997 EPA Lead and Copper Rule that reduces lead concentrations in the nations drinking water to 5 parts per billion.  The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs estimates that the costs of national lead abatement maybe as high as $206 billion. The Center for Disease Control estimates the social costs of lead poisoning are much higher.

The precautionary information to protect children from the risk of lead exposure came to late for Moore, a neighborhood dental assistant. Moore missed many workdays to escort her children to doctor appointments and school visits to help them maintain education goals despite learning disabilities from lead poisoning. “Physical and speech therapy greatly helped their ongoing recovery,” she confided.

 “Adults on a low income and especially minority children continue to be at the greatest risk of lead exposure,” said Daphne Daniels, Lead Toxicity Outreach Specialist for UW Medical Foundation.

“My children came this close to dying from lead exposure,” said Moore as she displayed a small gap between her left thumb and index finger. When the blood tests came back positive for lead exposure, “The doctor said to take the children to the hospital immediately,” she added. The amount of medical screening for lead is still well below the amount needed to identify lead-poisoned children in high-risk populations stated a City of Madison, Department of Public Health Report Card.  

Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of the corrosion, or wearing away of pipe metals.  Lead has traditionally been used in the public water lateral distribution system of private businesses, factories, and household plumbing. These materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, brass and chrome plated brass faucets, and in some cases, pipes made of lead that connect water faucets to the water main lateral pipes.

 “Even after you remove lead pipes, there are still potential sources for lead,” Grande warned. Lead particles and dissolved lead gets trapped in the bends and twists of home water fixtures. Grande added that the utility has no authority to change pipes in private homes or businesses but recommends changing all internal plumbing.  One health official suggests replacing all metal internal plumbing with rigid plastic pipe.

Homes built before 1950 are highly susceptible of being heavily laced with lead paint and plumbing. Disturbing the metal pipe contributes to lead leeching into many water taps in buildings and homes built before 1950. Recent lateral pipe reconstruction is in conjunction with the recent spike in documented lead poisonings as written in the 2010 Dane County Environmental Health Profile report.

Nearly 80 percent of Madison homes were built prior to 1950 according to the 2000 Census report. Homes built after the 1986 Safe Drinking Water Amendments have “lead-free” plumbing that still contain up to 8 percent of lead.

Grande also advised that lead in outdated household plumbing is severely affected by inorganic and organic chemicals. “Lead actually bonds to iron and manganese,” he added.  Manganese is a natural component of the city’s groundwater aquifer. According to the Public Health of Madison and Dane County website, the silver colored mineral can be harmful if consumed in excess of a normal diet. Recent evidence links excess manganese to Parkinson’s syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and the ability to learn and remember.

The concentration of lead in the brain is increased by 3-fold when manganese interacts with lead in the body, according to a 2004 chemical profile by the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services. In addition, this combination affects the body’s natural chemicals that deliver messages within the brain.  “The most significant neurochemical effect of the manganese-lead combination was a continuing decrease in norepinephrine brain activity as lead-manganese levels are increased,” cited the report.

An EPA’s 2003 health document for manganese also discusses studies that identify an association between exposure to manganese in drinking water and learning disabilities in children.

Another chemical that increases lead exposure is the corrosive disinfectant chloramine. When it chemically interacts with lead, human blood lead levels will increase from drinking tap water. “Research has suggested that disinfection with chloramine may result in higher lead levels,” Grande concurred in a subsequent e-mail.

According to the non-profit Environmental Working Group, the more scientists study lead, the more they find subtle but noticeable neurological damage to the brain at lower and lower levels of exposure. A congress of scientists believes that brain damage from lead is permanent.

Lead is a heavy, soft, toxic, gray-blue metal that has no known physiologically relevant role in the body. The EPA eventually wants a lead level of zero in potable drinking water under perfect conditions. New guidelines allow 5 parts per billion in the water distribution system and 10 parts per billion at the water tap. But because of extenuating circumstances regarding the cost of prevention or unforeseen circumstances, 15 parts per billion is the Maximum Containment Level allowed. There is also evidence that harmful lead toxicity occurs well below the MCL acknowledged as relevant by the EPA.

Toxicologists continue the debate about urine testing for lead as a better detective then blood testing, Wisconsin surveys lead toxicity with blood samples. Hair has been used as the test of choice by the Environmental Protection Agency in determining toxic metal exposure. A 1980 report released by the E.P.A stated that human hair should be the preferred method for biological monitoring of toxic metals. This report confirmed the findings of other studies, which concluded that hair might be a more appropriate tissue for studying community exposure to toxic metals than blood or urine analysis.

Removal of any type of lead is important. Do not purchase-canned foods sealed with solder, or acidic foods stored in lead based containers. Check to see if lead water pipes are being used in your home or work. When lead water pipes are present, filter the water, or change to bottled or charcoal filtered water.  Do not eat foods grown or animals raised near highways or factories. Do not play or work next to heavily traveled roads or buildings being remodeled. To decrease airborne concentrations of lead accumulating inside well-insulated airtight building, open the windows if you can.

Toxic lead is recognized as the most hazardous of all the toxic metals. Newborns,, infants, children, the elderly, ill people, ethnic groups and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to the absorption and retention of lead.  Even low levels of lead can affect the fetus and contribute to learning disorders, behavioral disorders, and physical health tribulations. Routine screening of children and adults is recommended by the Wisconsin Department of Environmental Health.  

“If he could be gainfully employed, despite his difficulties, life would be much better for him,” Moore said about her 21-year-old son.  According to Moore, the combination of lead in drinking water based infant formula and lead from a remodeled bathroom plaster wall contributed to her children’s unpleasant health history.

However, Moore’s grandchildren will not have to succumb to the vestiges of lead in drinking water because Madison Water Utility is pioneering efforts to eliminate lead in it’s lateral pipes. The public utility also has 810 miles of water mains that laterally connect to mostly residential and municipal buildings, and some small businesses that serve 226,000 people.

Over the next 40 years, the utility will have to replace 400 miles of water mains to continue its obligation of providing safe drinking water from the city’s 23 wells and 31 reservoirs.

thomasjasengardner Thursday, July 7, 2011

Menthol Cigarettes and African-American Smokers

thomasjasengardner

Communicating Controversial Science

Menthol Cigarettes and African-American Smokers

When the Food and Drug Administration outlawed flavored cigarettes in 2009, the regulatory broad did not include menthol cigarettes on their list. But well-established risk factors are documented which proves how menthol-flavored tobacco is responsible for 29 percent of smoke related deaths in African-Americans.

Several tobacco research institutions report that 70-92 percent of black Americans, who smoke, smoke menthol-flavored cigarettes.

Each year, cigarette smoking is directly or indirectly responsible for approximately 440,000 deaths in the United States. And according to an American Cancer Society 2011-2012 survey, blacks have a higher mortality rate from smoking cigarettes because of menthols addictive biochemical properties.

“There is a direct negative association between exposure to menthol cigarettes, smoking cessation, coronary calcification, calcium in the arteries and a change in pulmonary function,” writes Mark Pletcher, M.D., M.P.H., University of California, San Francisco, as part of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Other scientists also report, that due to a variety of biological mechanisms, menthol cigarettes are more harmful then non-menthol cigarettes.

Jonathan Foulds, PhD., at Penn State College of Medicine and author of “Quitting Menthol Cigarettes is Harder” wrote about the effects of different cigarettes upon all types of smokers, he concluded that while all forms of cigarette smoking could have disastrous results upon the user. “Menthol facilitates increased nicotine intake,” he explained.

            Menthol is a natural mint-flavored compound derived from peppermint oil that biochemically activates cold-sensitive neurons in the nervous system. The synthetic or mint flavor added to cigarettes could potentially increase the harm caused by cigarette smoking by masking the harshness of smoking. According to Foulds, menthol in cigarettes cools the upper airways, which inhibits the body’s rejection of nicotine delivery while increasing in vitro absorption of tobacco carcinogens from cigarette smoking.

Nicotine and Tobacco Research Institute studies have shown that menthol decreases the body’s knowledge about the higher levels of carbon monoxide, nicotine and cotinine ingested. “Menthol stimulates cold receptors, so it produces a cooling sensation,” Foulds said. He added, “Menthol in cigarettes makes the smoke less harsh, enabling these smokers to obtain a larger and more reinforcing nicotine hit.”

Nicotine imitates the action of a natural neurotransmitter called acetylcholine and binds to a particular type of acetylcholine receptor, known as the nicotinic receptor. The state of California Tobacco Related Disease Research Program found that menthol cigarettes were associated with higher baseline levels of nicotine receptors in the brain.

Following chronic nicotine non-menthol exposure, nicotine brain receptor increases its numbers and peaks after 20 hours. But menthol activated brain receptors peak every 2-3 hours. These receptors require 10 times more nicotine consumption than regular cigarettes.  This is considered a major contribution to menthol nicotine’s additive properties because menthol increases retention time in the lungs, according to a University of Southern California School of Medicine Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center 1999 study.

“Menthol, by its effects as a sensory stimulant, enhances the addictiveness of tobacco,” said Neal Benowitz, M.D., at UC-San Francisco. Menthol increases permeability of nicotine to cell membranes according to his 2004 report. Tobacco’s influence upon the brains dopamine is similar to the effects of morphine, cocaine and heroin.

Epidemiologic conducted studies have concluded that this unforeseen addiction has caused African-American men to have a higher rate of death by lung cancer then Caucasian males. Almost 88 percent of black male smokers will die from tobacco compared to 67 percent of white male smokers.

According to the website MentholKillsYou, blacks may have begun smoking menthol cigarettes as an alternative to expensive medications.  They report that the cigarette industry knew since 1944 about the toxic addictive effects of the 1926 invented menthol laced cigarettes.  But cigarette executives intentionally misclassified mentholated cigarette brands as a cough suppressant because of menthol’s local anesthetic and cooling properties.

FDA officials are currently meeting to discuss adding flavored menthol cigarettes to their outlawed list. It has a tobacco products scientific advisory committee that will writ a report about the public health impact of menthol. However, according to the New York Times, a nonvoting seat on the committee is an executive from Lorillard Tobacco. Phillip Morris had the only opponent to cigarettes removed from the panel of cigarette executives, researchers and educators.

Advancing Understanding of Knowledge’s Role in Lay Perception B.B. Johnson

Thomas Jasen Gardner

LSC  515

Public Information Campaign

Week 9

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Advancing Understanding of Knowledge’s Role in Lay Perception

B.B. Johnson

            When does knowledge initiate behavior change?  This article deals with how lay people and experts adopt knowledge, and how they use they knowledge to enact changes in their risk perception.

            It is quite obvious that WDNR has different perceptions of AIS then anglers.

WDNR experts have taken the scientific data and made conclusions that are inconclusive to some anglers. The seriousness of the risk perceptions that WDNR uses to support behavior changes presents uncertainty for anglers.

            The differences in discovery of this hazard knowledge, and justification for applying that knowledge is how the information is processed. An angler’s attitude about the source of the knowledge may hinder a positive response. His/her conceptual framework may place government and industry as having ulterior motives for insisting on behavior changes. It is particular difficult to initiate change in a subject that will not trust information from an untrustworthy source. WDNR must have had a prior subjective framework of having aims that conflicted with the attitude of anglers.

            Nonetheless, laypeople and experts disagree on the high-probability of AIS contamination because there no mental model exists that identifies how it applies to humans. The selfishness of ignorance does not identify hazard concepts that personally affect an angler’s sense of self-importance.  Information from WDNR officials is so haphazard those fishermen don’t believe their personal efforts would make a difference.  If science had validated its findings, government would have a sterner response. It seems WDNR is making feeble attempts to change angler’s behavior without making attempts to change the behavior of other variables.

            Anglers perceive that this hazard lies outside their control, because opinion leaders they trust and respect have not agreed about the facts of the conflict. The communication process is incomplete without politicians making laws and authorities enforcing those laws. Without those laws to contradict the theory that AIS presence is creationist apathy, individual anglers will continue to spread AIS.

            The hypothetical model of dead lakes with no native fish is so politicalized that events are rarely publicized. Lake pollution signifies jobs with industries that advertise. Neither is the media repetitive with conceptual knowledge about these events. So there is no direct or indirect experience for dreading risk probabilities of AIS. This current ideology is resists change by avoiding the social context of AIS.

            This lack of communal support maybe because the community lacks the communication resources to give credible advice. This wedge allows WDNR wisdom to be questioned in a laypersons media framework.  Information processing must include the communication heuristics of anglers who distort or do not process complex information correctly. Each day a new AIS threat emerges.

           

Chapter 9: Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Thomas J. Gardner

Public Information Campaigns

The Dynamics of Persuasion

Perloff

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Chapter 9: Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Admitting cognitive dissonance in fishermen who know the perils of AIS but refuse to adopt a behavior change may involve ego issues. Their inconsistent behavior increases the risk that AIS could spread to sterile lakes. There are so many variables surrounding AIS, that fishermen might distance themselves from the importance of the issue.

Qualitative research has shown that fishermen are motivated to change behavior to produce desirable results. But the difficulty in cleaning equipment, confusion about how and what to prevent, and the conflict between personal and social behavior makes it hard to change your attitude. This makes it easy to rationalize negative characteristics.

Perloff is right with his list of suggestions to reduce dissonance. But I think I sit through a bad movie because I paid for it. Fishermen take their bait to another lake because they paid for it. However, I like the hypothesis about the physical activity that you have to endure while cleaning your boat is a prerequisite to reminiscing about boating on the lake. There is always some aspect of fun that has a negative unpleasantness, according to Aronson and Mills.

Fishing has too many positive elements for fishermen to be discouraged about cleaning procedures.  But by acknowledging that they should have been cleaning their boats to stop the spread of AIS, would mean admitting infallibility. Fishermen have to be convinced about the enjoyment from cleaning a personal treasure; a dissonant act. They have to be persuaded that this great satisfaction and conformity is a pleasant activity that is socially expected. And that being inconsistent from social norms can have unpleasant consequences.

According to their demographics, personal responsibility is the cliché of these anglers when chastising other cultures. The consequences of not cleaning your bait well, not flushing out your engine, and not removing vegetation from your boat trailer can lead to no native fish to harvest. Yet, participants were willing to wash their boats by hand, but only if they could be assured that there actions were not redundant. The many fishing organizations, lake associations, watercraft rental businesses, and tournament sponsors should reflect upon each other’s hypocritical self-image.

Their self-concept, through social marketing, of being stewards of lake lifestyle is inconsistent with their negative behavior.  According to Perloff, anglers must be persuaded that their minor chores or, counterattitudinal advocacy, will increase their self-perceived macho image and motivate others to change behavior. An aggregate account of recreational fish vs. water milfoil and zebra mussels quantities can help justify behavior change.

The genuine importance of waylaying AIS must be a free choice that benefits the anglers self-concept of his sport. The grey area of why change and what’s in it for me can only be appreciated by each individual. At a dam in Seattle, there is a glass window where statistics and visual proof shows uniform changes in sustainability increased the number of salmon swimming upstream. This visual cognitive shortcut proved that the public commitment was competent.

Communicating Science: Using Temporally Oriented Social Science Models and Audience Segmentation to Influence Environmental Behaviors Professor Bret Shaw

Thomas J. Gardner

Public Information Campaigns

LSC 515

Fall 2011

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Communicating Science:

Using Temporally Oriented Social Science Models and Audience Segmentation

to Influence Environmental Behaviors

Professor Bret Shaw

            Business as usual applies to institutional racism, contaminated drinking water, coal miners health, and lake pollution for at least the last 30 years. But while the “process of change” turn slowly; minimum awareness, knowledge and attitudes have been influenced with temporal dimensions measured by increased media coverage and government responses.

            The same holds true for AIS. Different domains of awareness require different communication theories over a period of time. Instigating this behavior by dividing people into segmented groups does not sound like a court jury of peers. But it cannot be denied that similar segmented relationships exist among boaters, scuba divers, aquarium owners and angler groups.

            The social science models you suggest require that these groups be further divided. Among boaters and anglers, it would appear that those most knowledgeable fall into demographics that suggest they would be most responsive to a marketing plan.  Since innovators are already leading the way through their specific behavior, perhaps they could influence early adopters to clean their boats and trailers of aquatic plants.

            Tailoring messages for each segment to help transition behavior into a conscious habit is very subtle. People will form a habit by weighting the perceived benefits at each stage of change without feeling manipulated by distrustful bureaucrats. The Stages of Change show that many anglers and boaters are past precontemplation and are now contemplating how the action would benefit them personally. According to DNR rep. high volume usage dictates where marketing plan is coordinated.

            According to DNR PowerPoint, almost 100 percent of angler and boater water users leave or launch with aquatic plants and nearly 60 percent kill an invasive fish. This is a tv horror movie scare tactic ready to be used as an incentive for action. Tapping into the emotion of horror piraraha type AIS would tap into a contemplators emotions enough to motivate action. VCR-TV’s with guilt-ridden animations of dead lakes showing individual inaction has caused this aversive event.

            Adopting and maintaining behavior changes should include continuous ongoing congratulations and appreciations because their independent and community lifestyle shift has rewarded the lakes with native fish, cleaner water and clear beaches. Social support  will help lower relapses that can result in repeated beginnings.

            Crafting specific insights for a variety of barriers that may include Hmong and Hispanic anglers will help customize heuristic identification.

Diffusion of innovations is a social science that reinforces peer schemas. Those who embrace changes are the innovators that should serve as role models community social marketing.  This volunteer vanguard of retired anglers and ancestral lake property owners can monitor lakes while posting laws/rules that educate the early majority.

The leaders of the community have most likely done individual research while attending or leading public information events that help further educate him/her while effective persuading the early and late majority. They consciously or unconscious become the credible communicators who can be trusted to offer objective opinions. Their participation will be attached to truthfulness and integrity.

This will help change attitudes about AIS among those contemplating change because of recent laws and environmental consequences. Raising the visibility of those who clean their boats could be pictures on the outside wall of the bait shack or a revolving image on a web page.

Using the same technique to encourage sustainable behavior among laggards appears to be hopeless according to all the readings. But faith in those whose social economic status is reflective of their non-complacence could mean more tickets or deeper threat need to be issued. The ignorance of bible toting hypocrites and low self images have influence that may interest the late majority.

           

           

Social Norms: An Underestimated and Underemployed Lever for Managing Climate Change, by Griskevicius, etc.

Thomas J. Gardner                            Monday, October 3, 2011

Public Information Campaigns

LSC 515

Thought Piece

Week 5

Social Norms: An Underestimated and Underemployed Lever for Managing Climate Change, by Griskevicius, etc.

What Griskevicius pondered, maybe a quirk of the intellectual community that believe communication with the less knowledgeable is a descent into the culture of the ignorant and uncivilized. While working at Wisconsin Public Television I was asked, how can the station encourage more black viewers to watch public television?

With utter disbelief that management had no social science knowledge, I suggested that first they should produce news and information shows that are of interest to black viewers while informing white viewers of cultural discrepancies. Second, I advised them to provide information about current shows in environments where the circumstances induce a social norm that advocates watching Public Broadcasting Service.

While television was used for the PSA of the “Iron Eyes Cody spot”, the 21^st centenary has Facebook, Twitter, and blogs to make repetitive manipulating messages.  The social norms of fishing organizers communicate well with their fishing and boating peers. Griskevicius clearly explains that people unwittingly adopt behavior that is foreign to them when exposed to effective models.

The everyday setting of a lake’s boating dock is a stage for tournament organizers to feature the actions of cleaning a boat.  The author is saying this will be an unconscious motivation to mirror others. To complement the action with written descriptive social norms is a normative strategy.  People will underestimate the effect of repetitive visual and text messages.

Publicly denigrating fisherpersons who do not clean their boats or dump their bait might work well with lake property owners. But I’m worried about how this persuasion tactic might fail with resentful fisherpersons. Beer commercials for bad beer are effective because the social message questions the man hood of those who have not purposefully committed to drinking the local swill.  Fishing organizers are in a good position to explain what many invasive species are, and why they are problematic.

The self-efficacy of fishing persons will be publicly emphasized to highlight their prevention efforts. Their Paul Revere proximity shares similar activities including dialog, physical mannerisms, and clothes to reinforce the social norms message.  There is a scene in the movie “Platoon” where the higher educated Lieutenant walks into a soldiers quarters full of rednecks wearing a college football t-shirt. According to Griskevicius, the Lieutenant would not have a strong impact upon the recipients because of his elitist representation.

The influential connector should illustrate the unfamiliar conditions and the uncertainty related to AIS, and the positive actions to take. The normative approach of strategic placing trained fishing organizers could honestly convey the message. Peer experiences, opinions and behaviors of tournament organizers are a gold mind of persuasive resources. 

Interpersonal Persuasion By R. Perloff

Thomas Jasen Gardner

LSC515

Public Information Campaign

Monday, October 31, 2011

Week 9

Thought Paper

Interpersonal Persuasion

By R. Perloff

The foot in the door approach of influence techniques should work well for fishing tournament organizers. WDNR is already in the door with the purchase of a tournament license and should use that as a logical outgrowth to talk about Aquatic Invasive Species. A targeted request works best on pro-social issues and organizers consider themselves helpful cooperative people willing to assist with worthwhile causes.

By giving an organizer a license, it is easy to ask for reciprocal kindness by asking them to alert their participants about AIS. While they may not feel personally responsible to clean each boat and trailer, they would be empathetic about the second request of handing out brochures and pamphlets as a tradeoff.

By low-balling with a simple request to not drag vegetation down the road, we may get boaters to comply to larger concerns about their live well or dirty motors. Once they acknowledge that vegetation is contaminated, they would be less resistant to find other barriers to cleaning their boat.

         By presenting the beautiful lake surroundings in an engaging conversation, the conscious mind is diverted from resisting positive thoughts such as cleaning a boat that would reinforce the image he has created. Such a subtle association can produce dramatic behavioral compliance. This emotion-target concept is best used for late adopters who are chameleons.

Because WDNR does not employ lawful tactics for compliance, they should use rational and indirect tactics that imply that the rest of the fishermen are dependent upon your individual action for uniform behavior. But I believe that fishing tournament organizers are in a manipulative position to use hard techniques for compliance because of their relationship with the participants.

To succeed, WDNR should capitalize on social and cultural norms. Disrupting normal behavior with the pique technique is like repetitive requests that are constantly reframed to appeal to diverse topics of discussion.

Five Minute Newscast

Thomas J. Gardner

Information Radio

LSC 360

Assignment #7

Five Minute Newscast

Friday, November 4, 2011

00h05m02s

AUDIENCE: Trying to reach middle-aged middle-class househusband listeners and macho listening patriotic females and male listeners.

STATION: this is a full service radio station that plays MOR music.

FORMAT: Bridge format of good citizen radio located in metro area.

IT’S TIME FOR PRI NEWS AND INFORMATION WITH TOM GARDNER REPORTING.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES:

            A LOCAL FIRE DESTROYS A DENTIST OFFICE…

            BIRDS AT THE MADISON AIRPORT ARE DISRUPTING PLANES…

BUT FIRST STAY TUNED FOR THE TRAFFIC UPDATE:

TRAFFIC:

WISCONSIN STREET IS CLOSED BETWEEN MADISON AND MILWAKEE FOR

OVERNIGHT CONSTRUCTION.

OUT OF TOWN COMMUNTERS WILL HAVE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS ON THE BELTLINE

APPROACHING I-94 IN THE MERGING LANE.

IF YOU ARE HEADING TOWARDS CAMPUS, THERE IS A CAR CRASH ON

SOUTHBOUND UNIVERSITY DR. AT PARK STREET IN THE LEFT LANE.

FOR YOU WEST SIDE RESIDENTS THERE IS ALSO A CAR/TRUCK COLLISION ON EASTBOUND HIGHWAY 12

THIS IS A PRI TRAFFIC REPORT. BE SAFE NOW!

GOOD DAY‼!

HERE’S TODAY’S TOP STORIES:

(FIRE)

FIRE CREWS ARE BUSY MOPPING UP A BIG BLAZE IN WEST MADISON THIS

MORNING. FIRE FIGHTERS SAY THAT RIGHT NOW THE BLAZE IS KNOCKED OUT,

BUT THERE WERE STILL SOME DANGEROUS HOT SPOTS.

CREWS SAY THEY WERE CALED ON SCENE SHORTLY BEFORE 1 A.M. OFFICIALS

SAY THE LARGE BUILDING WAS HOME TO A CHILDREN’S DENTIST, A UW

EXTENTIOIN OFFICE, AND A FEW APARTMENTS.

THE FIRE STARTED ON A KITCHEN STOVE. FIRE OFFICIALS ARE CALLING THE

BUILDING A TOTAL LOSS. THEY SAY ALL OF THE APARTMENTS TENANTS HAD TO

BE E-VA-CU-ATED, BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

           

(BIRDS)

 A FLOCK OF SEA GULLS ARE CREATING SOME BIG PROBLEMS AT THE DANE COUNTY AIRPORT THIS MORNING.

AIRPORT OFFICIALS TELL PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL THAT PLANES HAVE STRUCK BIRDS ON AT LEAST EIGHT OTHER OCCASIONS THIS MONTH.

PASSENGER JET PILOTS SAY THE BIRDS REPRESENT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUYE AND A THREAT TO AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS AT THE AIRPORT.

THE NEARBY MADISON AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE COMPOST PIT IS BEING BLAMED FOR SOME OF THE PROBLEMS.

AIRPORT MANAGEMENT IS NOW WORKING ON A PLAN TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEM.

COMING UP ARE THE NATIONS TOP NEWS STORIES… RIGHT AFTER THIS PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:

EDUCATION

PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING EMPLOYEES WORK HARD FOR YOUR, SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. JANITORS, OFFICE STAFF, SCHOOL NURSE, AND FOOD SERVERS ARE AS IMPORTANT TO YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION AS YOU. LIKE A PARENT, THEY MAINTAIN A SAFE AND CLEAN BUILDING FOR LEARNING. THEY ALSO ASSIST TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM  AND COOK A HEATHY LUNCH. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW SCHOOL SUPPORT PERSONAL HELP YOU TO HELP YOUR CHILDREN… GOOGLE THE PRI WEB SITE.

NOW FOR THE NATION’S TOP STORIES:

PRESIDENT

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS THINKING ABOUT CREATING A NEW TAX FOR AMERICA’S SUPER RICH. THIS MEANS ANYONE WITH AN ANNUAL INCOME OF A MILLION DOLLARS OR MORE. THE PLAN IS PART OF HIS ONGOING EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE COUNTRY’S HUGE DEFICIT. DETAILS OF THE NEW TAX HAVE NOT YET BEEN UNVEILED. WHITE HOUSE INSIDERS SAY APART FROM RAISING MORE MONEY, THE AIM IS TO ENSURE TOP EARNERS ARE NOT PAYING LOWER TAX RATES THAN MIDDLE EARNERS. THE IDEA FOR THE NEW TAXES CAME FROM BILLIONAIRE INVESTOR WARREN BUFFETT. OBAMA QUOTED FROM HIM IN A SPEECH HE MADE IN AUGUST, ARGUING THAT THE NATION’S RICHEST INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN “CODDLED LONG ENOUGH BY A BILLIONAIRE-FRIENDLY CONGRESS”. OBAMA WILL ALSO END TAX BREAKS FOR GAS AND OIL COMPANIES.

YOU ARE LISTENING TO PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL, YOUR SEAT IN THE NEWS ROOM.

PRI NEWS WILL BE RIGHT BACK:

BRIDGESTONE:

AHH…. BRIDGESTONE TIRES.

                                                                                                                                               

JUST THINKING ABOUT MY BRIDGESTONE TIRES MAKES ME WANT TO DRIVE.

I MEAN, DUDE…THEY TAKE ME ANYWHERE I WANT TO GO, AND THEY SAFELY BRING ME BACK HOME WHENEVER I’M READY TO DRIVE AGAIN. I DON’T CARE WHAT THE WEATHER IS…RAIN, SNOW OR SUNSHINE, BRIDGESONE TIRES ARE AMERICAN BUILT TO CARRY ME AND MY FAMILY ANYTIME…ANYWHERE.

SO WATCH OUT POTHOLES…WATCH OUT BROKEN GLASS. MY BRIDGESTONES ARE TOO TOUGH FOR YOU. AND WHEN I WANT TO STOP. BRIDGESTONE TIRE TREADS STOP ME ON A MISS LIBERTY DIME.

AND THESE AMERICAN TIRES WON’T SLIP OR SLIDE IN ANY KIND OF BAD WEATHER. SO IF YOU’RE TRAVELING CLOSE OR FAR, BRIDGESTONE TIRES ARE YOUR KIND OF TIRES. ONLY A TIRE MADE IN AMERICA, IS SAFE TO DRIVE ON AMERICA’S ROADS.

THANK YOU BRIDGESTONE FOR GIVING ME THE FREEDOM TO DRIVE.

VISIT THE PRI WEBSITE TO LEARN WHAT WINTER TIRE SALE IS NEAR YOU.

WEATHER

TODAY’S MADISON AREA WEATHER IS MUCH LIKE YESTERDAY’S PRI FORECAST. IT’S SUNNY OUT WITH A CHILLING 30 MPH SOUTHWEST WIND. CURRENT TEMPERATURE IS 11 DEGREES WITH AN EXPECTED HIGH OF 15. THE UV INDEX IS MODERATE. RADIATION LEVELS ARE NORMAL.

TONIGHT WILL START WITH CLEAR SKIES THAT WILL CLOUD OVER LATE THIS EVENING. THE WIND WILL DIE DOWN TO 20 MPH AND THE LOW WILL BE 8 DEGREES.

TOMORROW WILL BE MAINLY CLOUDY WITH A HIGH OF 11 DEGREES.

THIS IS TOM GARDNER WITH PRI NEWS RETURNING YOU TO LIFESTYLES OF THE HOMELESS AND INDIGENT WITH IMA AHOLE.

Place meanings surrounding an urban natural area: A qualitative inquiry By James Spartz & Bret Shaw

Thomas J. Gardner

Public Information Campaigns

LSC 515

Thought Paper

Wk. 6

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Place meanings surrounding an urban natural area: A qualitative inquiry

By James Spartz & Bret Shaw

Images of Thoreau prop up in my brain when “phenomenology of landscapes” is used to describe the first person conscious experience of Lake Wingra. Were the place attachment and meaning questions asked wearing a Sigmund Freud mask during the semi-structured interview?

Asking fishing tournament organizers questions about their emotional bond with the lakes they use sets a great stage for narrative story telling. By having organizers detail favorite fishing holes will help encompass emotional attachment to a significant place. These feelings can be transferred to the whole person’s attitude about sustainability.

While your survey had only 16 participants, it behooves me to know their political demographics.  The neighborhoods and businesses surrounding watershed would seem to have polar opposites. It would be interesting to note how different people have a common value on an issue that unites them.  However while there is concern that the qualitative study was homogeneous, it’s effective conclusion could be applied to the cultural composition of fishing organizers.

            The impact upon new development in the neighborhood was the call to arms. Because of the demographics of the area, most would have ample knowledge about the unwanted effects of polluted water runoffs.

Many of the participants actively sought out more information to validate their concerns. While fishing organizers may not have the educational and income levels of Lake Wingra environmentalists, they process the same spirited commitment to protecting their waterways.

Recreational fisherpersons are prime listeners for discussions about solitude and other sanctuary themes.  This theme runs in line with how concern about generational uses helps to create behavior changes. A fisherperson sporting a mounted fish could reminisce about the wild days when a fish that size was not unusual to catch. Along with the narrative, the fisherperson could inject facts and aggregate numbers about the lake. 

Their thematic discussions could engage the negative behavior of recreational fisherperson’s with stories of joy and pride. The serene aesthetic qualities of a fishing lake are essential for having native fish in the lake. Undoubtedly most recreational fishermen participate in hunting or other outdoor sports. Hunters are particularly sensitive to positive associations with their forest experience.

Like the Lake Wingra respondents, many fishermen have generational memories of fishing lakes. While the culture of fishermen might find it hard to digest the definition of healing powers, they might agree that fishing provides a calmness that inspires them. Most use fishing as a way to get away from their families, not to enjoy the poetry of fawn, fauna or exercise.

In conclusion, it was obvious that the people most concerned with lake quality had close proximity to the lake. Their immediate connection to the lake helped them to perceive positive and negative implications of an urban reserve. 

Fostering Sustainable Behavior

Thomas J. Gardner                            Sunday, September 11, 2011

Public Information Campaigns

LSC 515

Thought Piece

Fostering Sustainable Behavior

The highest revelation in this discussion is the effectiveness of community participation. The least revelation is how landline telephone numbers can be used to target a specific community. Still, McKenzie offered some inspirational insights into the concepts of behavioral changes. One that I found quite interesting was how higher education levels does not play a role in responsible behavior.

This would appeal to be a challenge in not only composting but in racist attitudes.  Enhancing information and attitude changes seem to be formidable upon sustainable behavior. I was relieved to discover many program choices whose instruments have the ability to affect behavior changes though social marketing.

Mackenzie’s sound perspectives 0n what affects decisions was encouraging.  Community based social marketing helps the actors to make sound choices. 

These choices don’t appear to be influenced by typical commercial marketing methods.  These methods were not designed to provoke behavior changes.  It’s easy for a consumer to switch from ivory soap to Dial soap in the same aisle at the grocery store.  But unrecognized barriers exist for a complete attitudes adjustment. 

Community based social marketing helps identify barriers.  The strategies to identify and effect behavioral changes involve a lot of manpower, after researching goal points organizing focus groups and phone call requires particular attention to statistical details. 

Unfortunately IBM brought out SPSS. The only free resource includes PSPP and other open source software.  Analyzing the data from these resources can be sophisticated.  The software may enlighten the surveyor about the income and education of the consumers.  But will it help to devise prompts that encourage all income and education levels to participate. 

According to the books author, forgetting is the number one trait that burdens sustainability goals.  As the author states, positive sounding uplifting slogans as well as community commitments will help induce the repetitive actions required for an on going task.  While prompts serve as gentle reminders, “no explicit prompts have little or no impact.” Effective prompts need to be near or nest to where the desired behavior is needed.

This manipulated behavior can be further enhanced by group participation. Solomon Asch concluded that people would act like lemmings walking off a cliff.

This inherit trait can be used to influence subject behavior Independent normative behavior mirrors the behavior of others.  The conformity of farmers, and athletics was successful because people observed positive examples.  I consider this approach a practical prompt   the consequence of not complying becomes social rejection because of the high participation rate by others.  Contact between people appears to be a good motivator for behavioral changes.

Securing their attention does persuading people to adopt behavioral changes that will lead to an alternative lifestyle. When you personalize your advice, people are all ears.  But not all of us have a vivid imagination that captures the subject’s attention.  Encoding technical messages into plain English requires training or a professional.  How do you decipher and organize information from a focus group into a coherent message.

This message must be transposed to appeal to all audiences.  Page 41 gives a good plan of attack.  Knowing the beliefs and behaviors of your intended audience is essential to forming a comprehensive message.  But replacing phone surveys requires attending the meetings of several audience types in order to get e-mail and all phone numbers for surveys.  Home landline phones are nearly obsolete in the 21^st century.

It may also be helpful to social media to gather as much information about your subjects as possible. You may also be able to find credible sources or allies who have the public trust. Endorsement from several sources is necessary to placate a varied audience.  Should the audience be given a threatening message to insure cooperation?  Sources may say this is most effective.  Then why don’t TV toothpaste commercials say your teeth will turn green if you don’t use us? I believe compassionate social responsibility; common sense messages are also effective.

The author claims several methods combined are effective. But he did include modeling from school children or co-working.  However using vivid images, threatening words, specific actions, personal contributions and an appeal to be normal are quite convincing.  Being normal in Oregon means being environmentally responsible.  Not only did deposit bottles reduce landfill, it meant less broken glass in streets and a way for the homeless to earn money.  These incentives help Oregon to be a beautiful state.

            But you have to drive to old growth forests and to pristine lakes. As author noted, the incentives for owning a car outweigh the nearly non-existent bus/train system.  If our government financed public transportation by charging more for the prestige of owning a car more people would take public transportation.  Another incentive to consider is bicycle commuting.        

His strategy for implementing the pilot program is complimentary of commercial product surveys.  But it is very pragmatic.  I would like to use a baseline survey to determine specific products used to clean boats from alien residue.  Store coupons could be used as incentive to encourage cleaning.

In conclusion, having four survey groups and having to try 6 attempts to construct a perfect scenario is quite a commitment.

Creating surveys, writing messages, monitoring participants, f9inding incentives is a lot of engagement.  Should we be starting now on class project?

Is the DNR our stakeholder? Will they be our resident experts? Will our public consultants be citizen groups such as fishing clubs, boat manufacturers, and lure shops?

Traditional marketing techniques cater to the monetary interest of advertising and business interest. The surveys they use are already in place. Can we use their capitalist tools for non-profit motives?