University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten Discourse Ethics in Environmental Debates: Public Representation and the Problem of Inclusion in Local Wind Power Planning : 7th International Conference on Creative\Media/Technologies (IConCMT), 2025 Localized resistance to renewable energy infrastructure frequently exposes systemic deficits in environmental discourse ethics, particularly concerning the moral inclusion of nonhuman entities and future generations. Grounded in Habermasian discourse ethics (specifically the concept of advocatory discourses), Ott’s environmental value structures, and Jonas’s imperative of responsibility, this study analyzes the communicative mechanics of the public debate surrounding wind power deployment in Lower Austria in 2023–2024. A structurally applied qualitative content analysis of regional media artifacts was conducted to evaluate the legitimation strategies and representational disparities among discourse participants. The empirical findings reveal a pervasive anthropocentric bias: instrumental human interests systematically marginalized intrinsic ecological and future-oriented concerns. Furthermore, the analysis exposes profound institutional power asymmetries that dictate media utilization. Institutional proponents leveraged formal communication channels, whereas grassroots opponents, who lack structural agency, defaulted to emotionally charged, defensive, and informal media formats (e.g., visual satire) to contest perceived disenfranchisement. The study concludes that current renewable energy infrastructure planning paradigms fundamentally fail the Habermasian ideal of domination-free deliberation. To ensure equitable environmental policymaking, the institutionalization of advocatory representation for nonhuman entities and the deployment of symmetric participatory frameworks are imperative to reconcile global climate mandates with localized socio-ecological identities. This article has been double-blind peer reviewed. en TEXT conference object Konferenzveröffentlichung Risultato di convegno Documento PDF Risultato di convegno Text Konferenzveröffentlichung Text conference object Medienethik ÖFOS 2012 -- SOZIALWISSENSCHAFTEN (5) -- Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften (508) -- Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften (5080) -- Medienethik (508019) Medienanalyse ÖFOS 2012 -- SOZIALWISSENSCHAFTEN (5) -- Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften (508) -- Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften (5080) -- Medienanalyse (508008) Kommunikationswissenschaft ÖFOS 2012 -- SOZIALWISSENSCHAFTEN (5) -- Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften (508) -- Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften (5080) -- Kommunikationswissenschaft (508007) Ethik ÖFOS 2012 -- GEISTESWISSENSCHAFTEN (6) -- Philosophie, Ethik, Religion (603) -- Philosophie, Ethik (6031) -- Ethik (603103) Media ethics ÖFOS 2012 -- SOCIAL SCIENCES (5) -- Media and Communication Sciences (508) -- Media and Communication Sciences (5080) -- Media ethics (508019) Media analysis ÖFOS 2012 -- SOCIAL SCIENCES (5) -- Media and Communication Sciences (508) -- Media and Communication Sciences (5080) -- Media analysis (508008) Communication science ÖFOS 2012 -- SOCIAL SCIENCES (5) -- Media and Communication Sciences (508) -- Media and Communication Sciences (5080) -- Communication science (508007) Ethics ÖFOS 2012 -- HUMANITIES (6) -- Philosophy, Ethics, Religion (603) -- Philosophy, Ethics (6031) -- Ethics (603103) environmental communication wind power discourse ethics advocatory discourse moral inclusion Lower Austria renewable energy media ethics Erneuerbare Energien Windkraft Alternativenergien Green energy Erneuerbare Energie Erneuerbare Energiequelle Alternative Energiequelle Regenerative Energie Regenerative Energien Regenerative Energiequelle Alternativenergie Grüne Energie Sanfte Energie Medien Kommunikationsmittel Medium <Kommunikation> Kommunikationsmedium Ethische Theorie Philosophische Ethik Moralphilosophie Sittenlehre Moral / Theorie Niederösterreich Österreich unter der Enns Österreich nid der Enns Kronland Nieder-Oesterreich Bundesland Niederösterreich Oesterreich nid der Enns Oesterreich unter der Enns Erzherzogtum Österreich unter der Enns Land Niederösterreich Lena Wagner Simon Ganahl Medienethik Media ethics Medienanalyse Media analysis Kommunikationswissenschaft Communication science Ethik Ethics Erneuerbare Energien Medien Ethik Niederösterreich