A recent worldwide survey
by GlobeScan Radar, a public opinion research consultant company, found that
concern about global warming and other environmental issues has hit a 20-year
low. The survey covered 22 countries, including the United States
Despite
even more conclusive evidence of a warming world, only 49 percent of
respondents considered global warming a serious problem. Fewer people also
considered polluted waters, species going extinct, and other environmental
concerns as being “very serious.” This is probably good news to coal companies,
oil companies and other polluters, but it is probably bad news for the rest of
us, whether we are among the concerned or unconcerned crowd.
What
has happened? It could be several things. Journalism is undergoing a grand
transformation, and perhaps this affects the public’s ability to follow
environmental stories that usually have a long narrative arcs and can contain
concepts that can be difficult to understand. Industry propagandists, such as
the Heartland Institute and Heritage Foundation, may have become more
successful with their messages.
People
also tire and “tune out” longstanding news stories, and we may be at a point
when hearing about increased droughts and melting icecaps has fatigued us to
where we are no longer listening. The chairman of GlobeScan, Doug Miller, says,
“Evidence of environmental damage is stronger than ever, but our data shows
that economic crisis and lack of political leadership means that the public are
starting to tune out.”
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