Climate Change Advocacy and Ecological Modernization: The Symbolic Politics of Carbon Tax Communication in British Columbia

This thesis explores communication of the carbon tax and climate change policy in British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, by various environmental advocates and organizations from January 1, 2006 through August 31, 2012. It adopts a form of argumentative discourse analysis espoused by Maarten Hajer in its examination of two discourse coalitions organized around the principles of both "weak" and "strong" ecological modernization (Christoff, 1996). The analysis works from a conception of the carbon tax as a product of deliberative interplay and details the shifting communicative dynamics that have helped shaped the significance of policy over time. By examining various written texts, I argue that communication about the B.C. carbon tax was largely dominated by a weak ecological modern discourse coalition. The study concludes with discussion on the potential implications for future advocacy efforts in the province, emphasizing the role of communicative practice in the "green public sphere".;Keywords: climate change, carbon tax, communication, discourse coalitions, Maarten Hajer, ecological modernization, environmental movement, British Columbia.