Environmental activism as counter-hegemony? A comparative critical discourse analysis of self-representations of radical environmental organisations

Environmental activism involves subverting dominant cultural practices in an aim to raise awareness not only of local issues, but increasingly of global environmental challenges. However, to successfully mobilise target publics, activists need to self-represent in ways that do not compromise their legitimacy. This study reports on a critical discourse analysis of online manifestos of three environmental organisations: Extinction Rebellion (UK), Deep Green Resistance (US), Pracownia na Rzecz Wszystkich Istot (Poland). It offers a comparison of linguistic, rhetorical and visual resources recruited to promote the opposition to selected dominant values as a desirable, even necessary, orientation in a climate emergency.