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| Environmental Misperceptions Rampant, But Thereâs Good News |
| 2004-04-26 |
| From the Canadian Frasier Instituteâs research report "Environmental Indicators (6th Edition)" Severely EFL Newspapers in Canada, like those in much of the developed world, give extensive coverage to alarming claims about environmental degradation and related health impacts. Claims linking increasing rates of asthma and deaths due to air pollution are carried uncritically as are laments regarding humanityâs supposedly increasing âecological footprintâ and associated loss of biodiversity on Earth. In a poll conducted for Natural Resources Canada, 65% of respondents to the survey of Canadiansâ environmental attitudes felt that forest management and overcutting are the primary threat facing the countryâs forests today. Through surveys of college students, The Fraser Institute has found a strong disconnect between Canadian student perceptions of environmental trends (mostly negative) and the reality of environmental trends (mostly positive): Preach it, brother! 65% of the students attending Fraser Institute seminars believe that air quality is deteriorating. Fifty-eight percent of students are convinced that annual forest harvests exceed regrowth. Seventy-three percent of students believe we need to expand recycling programs and further control waste to avoid a âtrash crisis.â But the reality of the state of the environment is quite different from the portrayals of alarmists or the understanding of the public. Things are, in fact, improving dramatically in the developed world as improvements in technology, higher incomes, and democratic systems have created an ever-increasing ability to protect the environment. There is every reason to believe that similar improvements will be seen globally as developing countries open to international trade and have access to advanced technologies. And locally, while many Canadians are unaware of it, the majority of environmental trends in Canada have been positive for decades. The Fraser Institute believes strongly in the idea of public policy debate infused by hard data, and sound logic. We published our first Environmental Indicators report in 1997, going to the original data sources (primarily governmental) to compile evidence that might show us the real state of environmental progress. What we have found is a story of optimism that is simply not understood by a large section of the population. ⢠One of the most far-reaching environmental improvements is the increasing quality of the air Canadians breathe. Ambient levels of sulphur dioxide, a pollutant produced by burning coal and oil, which can cause breathing problems and aggravation of respiratory disease, decreased 72.2% from 1974 and 2000.Much more (112 pages of very readable, well-laid-out FACTS) at the link. I learned about this from a specialty newsletter. Think it will ever be the lead story on any of the "mainstream" media in Canada or in this country? (Iâd be delighted if some Canadian Rantburgers said they saw it on the news!) Think the "enviromentalists" will applaud this and lay off for a while? Think the public will change their perceptions? Naahh, me neither. |
| Posted by:Barbara Skolaut bskolaut@hotmail.com |
| #3 The trash data is surprising to me. I was worried that so much attention was being paid to Global Warming that solid waste was being ignored. I am pleasantly surprised. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-04-27 12:46:19 AM |
| #2 LOL, badanov. You watch waaaay too much TV! :-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-04-26 10:56:30 PM |
| #1 Thank Gawd, Barb. I thought you were gonna add: Environmental Misperceptions Rampant, But Thereâs Good News: I saved a bundle on my auto insurance by switching to Geico. ;o) |
| Posted by: badanov 2004-04-26 10:47:59 PM |