ABSTRACT
This chapter explores avenues for the development of communication geography under the dual banners of sustainability and justice-two of the key pragmatic objectives we can work towards if we leverage the theories and constructs of communication geography. By directing attention to the practical and intellectual benefits of bringing together studies in geography and communication this chapter moves beyond earlier research which surveyed the relevant epistemological and ontological terrain (Adams, 2009, 2011; Adams and Jansson, 2012). This previous work sorted existing research into four quadrants-communication-in-place, place-in-communication, communication-in-space, and space-in-communication-offering a simple map for engaging with existing research in geography and communication theory as well as organizing ties to cognate disciplines. The goal in this chapter is to see how the pragmatic objectives of sustainability and justice can be situated within this taxonomy, engaging constructively with what Hulme (2008a: 6) calls the “fragility and transience of environmental discourses.” I start with a brief glance back at my research thus far. I move from there to consider geographical scale and its role in shaping what we know, or can reasonably expect to know, about the consequences of our actions. This leads to a reflection on the notion of ethical consumption and more broadly on how justice and sustainability depend on communications in and around the act of consumption.
