[ecrea] CfP-³Towards a transition in communication practices in face of the irreversibility of climate change, the foreseeable end of easy oil and resource scarcity²

Call for Papers



Journal Razón y Palabra 91

(September – November 2015)



Special issue title: “Towards a transition in communication practices in 
face of the irreversibility of climate change, the foreseeable end of 
easy oil and resource scarcity”



Editors:

Rogelio Fernández-Reyes

José Luís Piñuel

Anabela Carvalho

Ilza Maria Tourinho Girardi



Rationale:

In its 5th Assessment Report, the IPCC made its sharpest analysis yet of 
anthropogenic climate change and its irreversible risks. Scientists are 
increasingly assertive in alerting to the fact that we cannot proceed 
with the current status quo if we are to avoid dangerous interferences 
with the climate system. A technological, institutional and human turn 
of Copernican dimensions is required. It must have immediate effect, 
global range and substantial investments (IPCC press release, 13 April 
2014).

In the last few years numerous social movements and networks have been 
proposing and experimenting with alternatives that are showing effective 
at small scales in performing a shift towards a low-carbon future. 
Complementing the existing ecologist movement, “eco-villages”, 
Transition initiatives, “degrowth” groups, cooperatives, projects 
focusing on “voluntary simplicity”, “slow pace”, ecological economics, 
political ecology, the “good life” (sumak kawsay, suma qamaña or teko 
kavi) and other ideas have been emerging far and wide.

Given current and projected levels of greenhouse gas emissions, action 
plans must take planetary limits into account. Those limits are also 
related to resource depletion and the foreseeable end of the era of easy 
oil. The International Energy Agency estimates that the production of 
conventional oil peaked in 2006 and several reports signal that coal and 
gas peaks will take place in the next five decades.

Against this context, the editors of this special issue invite research 
and reflection on the necessary (and inevitable) transition in 
communication practices about these subjects. The importance of 
communication in transition processes cannot be overstated. 
Communication practices can promote resistance to crossing boundaries 
that would take planetary systems out of balance and into uncharted 
territory. New modes of communication may offer a counterweight to the 
discourses that feed hegemonic structures. From the media, a commitment 
is needed with a paradigmatic cultural shift founded upon 
sustainability. All of this can decisively help in overcoming 
intelligibility problems regarding climate change, changing obsolete 
models for thinking and seeing things, and adopting new patterns of 
collective behaviour and civic participation while taking advantage of 
critical opportunities for change at this crucial time.



Themes:

Some of the themes that are welcome in this special issue include (but 
are not limited to) the following:

-       Alternative media and discourses on climate change

-       The end of easy oil and media representations

-       Resource scarcity and debates on alternatives

-       Communication and social movements enacting experiences of 
transition

-       Conditions and characteristics of communication for transition



Editorial policy of the journal Razón y Palabra:

http://www.razonypalabra.org.mx/editorial.html



Article length: approximately 20 pages using Times New Roman font, 12 
point font-size, 1.5 line spacing.



Languages:

Manuscripts are accepted in the following languages:

- Spanish

- Portuguese

- English



Important dates:

- Deadline for submission of manuscripts: 30 June 2015
- Reviewing: 1-15 July 2015
- Submission of revised versions of manuscripts: 30 July 2015
- Publication of special issue: September 2015



Contact:

Manuscripts should be sent to the following email addresses, which can 
also be used for questions or any other purpose regarding this special 
issue:

(rogeliofreyes /at/ hotmail.com) (in Spanish and English)

(ilza.girardi /at/ ufrgs.br) (in Portuguese)

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