RISK COMMUNICATION REGARDING JADAR PROJECT - Between ethics, profession and politics
Abstract
Summary: The paper analyzes risk communication in the context of the Jadar project - a mining venture of the Rio Tinto company for the extraction of lithium in the Jadar valley. The communication of key actors: the Rio Tinto company, the ruling political structures in Serbia, the political opposition and non-governmental organizations and experts is monitored through the analysis of timelines of key events, press releases and discourses of various actors. In the conditions of insufficient knowledge of the objective dimensions of the hazard, a sharp polarization can be observed between the supporters/proponents of the project (the company itself, the ruling political structure and part of the experts) who believe that the potential dangers are within the acceptable range, and the possible profit is significant, and other communication actors who stand on the diametrically opposite point of view. The aggressive campaign of the government and the company in favor of the project resulted in an increase in the number of opponents of the project, which is understandable in the conditions of lack of trust in institutions, absence of a culture of dialogue, high corruption and a divided society. In order to get closer to the ideal risk communication as an exchange of true information between experts and laymen, the responsible authority that takes care of the general interest would have to completely change the pattern of behavior and place itself in the role of facilitator and mediator that enables an open dialogue of interested parties on the media with a national frequency.
References
2. Antonić, S. (2022) Kompradori kao deo TNKK: slučaj Srbije, Sociološki pregled, vol. LVI, no. 4, str. 1169–1191.
3. Balkan Green Net (2021). Studija Batuta: desetak industrijski kontaminiranih lokacija u Srbiji ugrožava zdravlje ljudi, dostupno na https://balkangreenenergynews.com/rs/Studija Batuta: desetak industrijski kontaminiranih lokacija u Srbiji ugrožava zdravlje ljudi (balkangreenenergynews.com)
4. Beta, (2024a). „Reporteri bez granica: Srbija pala na 98. mesto na Svetskom indeksu slobode medija”, dostupno na https://beta.rs/content/204602-reporteri-bez-granica-srbija-pala-na-98-mesto-na-svetskom-indeksu-slobode-medija, pristup 15.05.2024.
5. Beta, (2024b). „Stojković: Biološki fakultet protiv projekta Jadar”, dostupno na https://beta.rs/content/212699-stojkovic-bioloski-fakultet-protiv-projekta-jadar-i-etf-morao-da-odgovori-na-inicijativu-sanu, pristup 18.10.2024.
6. Bogdanović, N. (2021). "Rio Tinto u Srbiji: Ko je za, a ko protiv", Radio Slobodna Evropa, https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/rio-tinto-rudnik-poslovanje-srbija/31576691.html, pristup 5.12.2024
7. Broderick, E. (2022). Report into Workplace Culture at Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto. dostupno na https://www.riotinto.com/-/media/Content/Documents/Sustainability/People/RT-Everyday-respect-report.pdf, pristup 15.12.2024.
8. Brownlee, J. (2015). The Corporate Corruption of Academic Research. Alternate Routes: A Journal of Critical Social Research, 26., pp 23-50.
9. Blic, (2024).“Kad 1+1 nije jednako 2: Zašto se ekonomisti spore oko ekonomskih benefita projekta "Jadar" na Srbiju i šta piše u njihovim studijama i analizama“, dostupno na https://www.blic.rs/biznis/zasto-se-ekonomisti-spore-oko-ekonomskih-benefita-projekta-jadar-sta-pise-u-njihovim/lcny97r, pristup 20.10.2024.
10. Cameco, S., and Griffiths, M. (2019). „The Health Impacts of Extractive Industry Transnational Corporations: A Study of Rio Tinto in Australia and Southern Africa“. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(2), 239.
11. Cenzolovka (2024).“BIRODI: Pink, Prva i Happy reč litijum u julu upotrebili 1045 puta, a u junu 330“ dostupno na https://www.cenzolovka.rs/drzava-i-mediji/birodi-pink-prva-i-happy-rec-litijum-u-julu-upotrebili-1045-puta-a-u-junu-330/, pristup 30.08.2024.
12. Cvijetić, A., (2024).„Nova tehnologija prerade jadarita testirana u Australiji“, Politika, 04.08.2024, dostupno na https://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/626246/Nova-tehnologija-prerade-jadarita-testirana-u-Australiji, pritup 05.08.2024.
13. Danas, (2024).“Brnabić o naučnicima koji su protiv rudnika litijuma: Dozvoljavaju sebi da pričaju potpune budalaštine“, dostupno na https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/brnabic-o-naucnicima-litijum/, pristup 04.09.2024.
14. Đorđević, D., Tadić, Grgur, B., Ristić,R., Sakan,S., Brezjanović, J., Stevanović, V. & Šolaja, B. (2024)."The influence of exploration activities of a potential lithium mine to the environment in Western Serbia", Scientific reports, 14:17999.
15. EPA, (2008). Seven Cardinal Rules of Risk Communication, Washington D.C., dostupno na https://archive.epa.gov/care/web/pdf/7_cardinal_rules.pdf, pristup 25.01.2023
16. FoNet, (2024),“Grujičić o protestima protiv rudnika litijuma: Građani ne veruju institucijama, što nije nelogično“, dostupno na https://www.021.rs/story/Info/Srbija/385402/Grujicic-o-protestima-protiv-rudnika-litijuma-Gradjani-ne-veruju-institucijama-sto-nije-nelogicno.html, pristup 22.08.2024.
17. Forbes, (2024).“U kakvom su stanju inspekcije koje bi trebalo da kontrolišu Rio Tinto“, dostupno na https://direktno.rs/vesti/drustvo-i-ekonomija/547776/inspekcije-rio-tinto-kontrolisu-u-kakvom-su-stanju.html, pristup 19.08.2024.
18. González, M. I. and Puig, J. (2020). A Socio-Environmental History of a Copper Mining Company: Rio-Tinto Company Limited (1874–1930). Sustainability, 12(11), 4521.
19. Hymes, D. (1974). Foundations in Sociolinguistics: An Ethnographic Approach. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
20. Jakobson, R (2000).”Linguistic and Poetic” in Burke, L., Crowley, T. and Girvin, A.(Eds) The Routledge Language and Cultural Theory Reader.New York/London:Routledge. pp 334-337.
21. Malešič, M., Hrvatin, S., B. i Polič, M. (2006). Komuniciranje v krizi, Ljubljana:Fakulteta za družbene vede, str. 13-14
22. Matić Savićević, B. et al. (2020). Unapređenje upravljanja kontaminiranim lokalitetima u Srbiji, Beograd:Institut za javno zdravlje "Milan Jovanović Batut".
23. Mitrović, Lj. (2013). Implications of the globalization process for deterritorialization of the
state sovereignty and metamorphosis of cultural identity. In: Vuletić, V., Ćirić, a and Šuvaković,U. (Eds.) Globalization and Sovereignty Decline (683-700). Beograd: Srpsko
sociološko društvo, Institut za uporedno pravo; Kosovska Mitrovica: Filozofski
fakultet Univerziteta u Prištini.
24. Mitrović, M.(2011). „Kampanjska privatizacija u Srbiji – Udruženi pljačkaški poduhvat“, u Ignjatović, Đ.(Ur.) Kaznena reakcija u Srbiji, Beograd:Pravni fakultet, str. 126- 138.
25. N1 (2024 a)” Gavrilović: Ljudi su u strahu izašli na ulice da se zaštite od države koja ih je zaboravila” dostupno na https://nova.rs/vesti/politika/gavrilovic-ljudi-su-u-strahu-izasli-na-ulice-da-se-zastite-od-drzave-koja-ih-je-zaboravila/?utm_source=chatgpt.com, pristup 04.08.2024.
26. N1,(2024b)"Kampanja vlasti za litijum nadmašuje sve - i kampanju za Kosovo, Beograd na vodi", dostupno na https://direktno.rs/vesti/drustvo-i-ekonomija/548190/djordje-vukadinovic-kampanja-vlast-litijum.html, pristup 20.08.2024
27. NSPM. (2024a). “Srbija, jun-jul 2024 – litijum, EKSPO i nacionalni stadion”, dostupno na http://www.nspm.rs/istrazivanja-javnog-mnjenja/srbija-jun-jul-2024-litijum-i-nacionalni-stadion.html, pristup 17.08.2024.
28. NSPM (2024b) “Septembar, 2024 – Odabrana ukrštanja - litijum i protesti, starost i obrazovanje” http://www.nspm.rs/istrazivanja-javnog-mnjenja/septembar-2024-%E2%80%93-odabrana-ukrstanja-litijum-i-protesti-starost-i-obrazovanje.html, pristup 15.09.2024.
29. Marić, D. (2024). „Sve će biti u redu, osim ako ne dođe do akcidenta“:Pozvali smo kontakt centar za projekat „Jadar“ i pitali ih da li ćemo biti bezbedni od kopanja litijuma”, Nova.rs., dostupno na https://nova.rs/vesti/drustvo/sve-ce-biti-u-redu-osim-ako-ne-dodje-do-akcidenta-pozvali-smo-kontakt-centar-za-projekat-jadar-i-pitali-ih-da-li-cemo-biti-bezbedni-od-kopanja-litijuma/, pristup 09.10.2024.
30. Marković,M (2022).” Rudarski biznis u Srbiji i (pre)prodaja zlatne magle”, Birn.rs, dostupno na https://birn.rs/rudarski-biznis-u-srbiji/, pristup 20.08,2024.
31. Nova ekonomija, (2021). „Akademija inženjerskih nauka očekuje „trajne negativne posledice“ Rio Tinta“, dostupno na https://novaekonomija.rs/vesti-iz-zemlje/akademija-inzenjerskih-nauka-ocekuje-trajne-negativne-posledice-rio-tinta, pristup 07.06.2024.
32. Ristić, R., Malušević, I.,Nešković, P., Novaković, A., Polovina, S. and Milčanović, V. (2021) “Spatial degradation within the „Jadar“ project”, dostupno na https://www.banktrack.org/download/spatial_degradation_within_the_jadar_project/ristic_et_al__sanu_eng_2021_1.pdf, pristup 12.12.2024.
33. Sandman, P. (2003). "Four Kinds of Risk Communication", The Synergist, pp. 26–27.
34. Sandman, P. (2012). Responding to Community Outrage:Strategies for Effective Risk Communication. AIHA Press.
35. Schmid, R. (2001). "Risk = Hazard + Outrage", Zurich Risk Engineering’s magazine the linkbetween, Issue 33, Jan 2001.
36. Seagle, C. (2012). Inverting the Impacts: Mining, Conservation and Sustainability Claims near the Rio Tinto/QMM Ilmenite Mine in Southeast Madagascar. Journal of Peasant Studies, 39(2), 447-477.
37. SEC. (2023)." SEC Charges Rio Tinto plc with Bribery Controls Failures"m press release, dostupno na https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023-46, pristup 15.12.2024.
38. Sjöberg, L. (2000). Factors in Risk Perception. Risk Analysis, 20: 1–11.
39. Šolaja, B. (2024). „Rizici otvaranja rudnika litijuma veći su od potencijalne koristi“, dostupno na https://6yka.com/kolumne/rizici-otvaranja-rudnika-litijuma-veci-su-od-potencijalne-koristi/, pristup 25.07.2024.
40. Šušnjić, Đ. (2024).“Ratko kao osobena pojava u našoj kulturi“, Religija i tolerancija,br 42.str. 419-421
41. TANJUG, (2024). „Biljana Abolmasov: Ljudi postali potpuno nesvesni značaja geoloških istraživanja i rudarstva“, dostupno na https://www.tanjug.rs/ekonomija/srbija/102768/biljana-abolmasov-ljudi-postali-potpuno-nesvesni-znacaja-geoloskih-istrazivanja-i-rudarstva/vest, pristup 30.07.2024.
42. Zhao, H., Wang, Y. and Cheng,H. (2023). Recent advances in lithium extraction from lithium-bearing clay minerals, Hydrometallurgy,Volume 217., 106025
43. Zrnić, S.(2024), "U Srbiji ima 709 kontaminiranih lokacija, a samo tri rudarska inspektora", Vreme, dostupno na https://vreme.com/drustvo/u-srbiji-ima-709-kontaminiranih-lokacija-a-samo-tri-rudarska-inspektora/, šristup 28.03.2024.
44. Vukčević, Lj.(NA), „Krivična odgovornost pravnih lica za krivilčna dela protiv životne sredine“,Beograd:RERI, dostupno na https://reri.org.rs/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RERI-Krivicna-odgovornost-pravnih-lica-za-krivicna-dela-protiv-zivotne-sredine.pdf, pristup 12.10.2024.
45. Walaski, P.(2011. Risk and crisis communication, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
46. Živković, Ž., Panić, M., Fedajev, A. et al. (2023)The Challenges of Increasing the Copper Smelter Capacity on Ambient Air Quality in Bor (Serbia). Water Air Soil Pollut 234, 82.
Copyright
Authors retain copyright of the published papers and grant to the publisher the non-exclusive right to publish the article, to be cited as its original publisher in case of reuse, and to distribute it in all forms and media.
Licensing
The published articles will be distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 International license (CC BY-SA). It is allowed to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and remix, transform, and build upon it for any purpose, even commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given to the original author(s), a link to the license is provided, it is indicated if changes were made and the new work is distributed under the same license as the original.
Users are required to provide full bibliographic description of the original publication (authors, article title, journal title, volume, issue, pages), as well as its DOI code. In electronic publishing, users are also required to link the content with both the original article published in CM: Communication and Media and the licence used.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Self-archiving policy
Authors are permitted to deposit author’s publisher's version (PDF) of their work in an institutional repository, subject-based repository, author's personal website (including social networking sites, such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu, etc.), at any time after publication.
Full bibliographic information (authors, article title, journal title, volume, issue, pages) about the original publication must be provided and links must be made to the article's DOI and the license.
Disclaimer
The views expressed in the published works do not express the views of the Editors and the Editorial Staff. The authors take legal and moral responsibility for the ideas expressed in the articles. Publisher shall have no liability in the event of issuance of any claims for damages. The Publisher will not be held legally responsible should there be any claims for compensation.