Fwd: SYH: 1999 National Environmental Attitudes Survey Results Released

**Lucy Bradley LBradley@sisna.com>**

>To: school_garden@mallorn.com
>From: Stephanie Stowell <stowell@nwf.org> (by way of Lucy Bradley 
><BradleyL@ag.arizona.edu>)
>Subject: SYH: 1999 National Environmental Attitudes Survey Results Released
>
>Following is notice of the National Environmental Education and Training
>Foundation's annual Roper survey about attitudes toward the environment.
>
>NEETF NEWS
>For Immediate Release
>
>To order copies, contact:
>Derek Young
>202-261-6472,
>young@neetf.org
>http://www.neetf.org/
>
>New Study Finds Public Earns an "F" on 'Readiness' for the Environmental
>Challenges of The Early 21st Century
>
>Americans Seek Solutions, But Lack the Basic Knowledge to Tackle Early
>21st Century Problems
>
>The 1999 National Report Card on Environmental Readiness, released today
>finds the public willing - but neither ready nor able - to assume its
>increasing role in environmental protection in the early part of the next
>century.
>
>A Disturbingly Low Public "EQ" - (Environmental Knowledge Quotient)
>
>After thirty years of steady progress in environmental clean-up and
>resource conservation, the 1999 National Report Card warns that the rate
>of improvement could slow or even grind to a halt due to a disturbing
>level of public ignorance and misinformation.  Much of the progress made
>over the last three decades has come from government rules and regulations
>and has focused on the environmental effects of large businesses and
>communities. But, in the early 21st century, there will be a significant
>increase in another type of problem.
>
>"We are headed for a 'sea change' in the nature and scope of environmental
>problems in America," says Kevin Coyle, President of The National
>Environmental Education and Training Foundation, which commissioned the
>study, "and the public is not prepared for the inevitable increase in
>their own responsibilities."
>
>"Environmental problems of the past 30 years have been direct and coming
>mostly from larger sources." says Coyle. "We have focused hard on cleaning
>up after the Industrial Revolution and have concentrated on large
>businesses and communities.  In the early 21st century, however, the
>issues will be increasingly multi-faceted, subtle and insidious, and will
>come from consumer activities, service businesses and the average
>individual," Coyle continues.
>
>
>Most disturbing is the fact that:
>
>People fail to understand that they as individuals are indeed a leading
>cause of many problems - water pollution, forms of air pollution, certain
>toxic pollution, solid waste and more - and that further progress will
>require individual knowledge, and cooperation will be more essential more
>than ever before.
>
>People do not have a basic grasp of many of today's most critical
>environmental policy issues and will likely be confounded by future policy
>discussions, thus slowing progress.
>
>People are alarmingly out-of-step with scientific experts on what will be
>the main environmental problems of the early 21st century and, indeed,
>actually seem bound to the myths of the past on many issues.
>
>The 1999 National Report Card looks at the public's ability to understand
>and address the emerging issues of the 21st century focusing particularly
>on the increased role of individuals.  For example, while the 1970's
>brought concern for industrial water pollution, the coming years will
>require a focus on abating run-off water pollution from farms, fields,
>lawns, parking lots, roadways, and even driveways.  Thus, the future
>solution to out water pollution problems will come from more thoughtful
>actions by homeowners, car owners, farmers, small businesses, and others.
>
>This survey marks the eighth year of the National Report Card and builds
>on previous survey findings.  The 1997 survey found that the average
>American has nothing more than a "comic book" or fairly superficial
>knowledge of environmental issues.  In 1998, the survey determined that
>the public relies heavily on outdated information and environmental myths
>rather than fact.
>
>The 1999 survey focuses on the emerging issues of the next century and how
>prepared the American public is to address those issues.>
>
>Some of the major findings of the 1999 survey include:
>
>The public's "EQ" or environment intelligence quotient, is disturbingly
>low and will block progress on many issues. On a simple ten-question quiz,
>the American public averaged just three questions correct.
>
>Fewer than one-in-nine Americans received a passing score of 60% on the
>quiz which measures knowledge of environmental issues likely to be major
>problems in the next 15-25 years.  Only one person in 25 received a
>passing score of 70%.
>
>Moreover, incorrect but persistent knowledge of environmental issues will
>likely continue into the next century.  Myths and outdated information
>about important environmental issues - causes of water and air pollution,
>certain toxic pollution, solid waste and more - remain entrenched in the
>minds of the American public, as we move into the 21st century.
>
>
>
>
>A Public Out of Step with the Experts
>
>The 1999 NEETF/Roper Survey also found that members of the public do not
>always agree with the experts on what will be the most critical issues of
>the future.  Science experts, for example, give the most weight to future
>population increases and climate change as critical 21st century issues,
>yet the American public ranks these issues among the lowest of concern and
>instead focus on what were the most difficult issues of the past.  For
>example, some 69% of Americans say that air pollution will be a very
>serious problem in the next century and 74% say that polluted water will
>be a serious problem, but just 40% think global warming will be a serious
>issue and 59% see population increases as a major problem.
>
>
>But, Increased Public Support for the Environment in the Early 21st
>Century
>
>Despite considerable bad news about environmental readiness and knowledge,
>the survey also indicates that Americans will likely have more
>pro-environment feeling in the early 21st century and may be willing to
>act on environmental solutions when they are properly informed.  This is
>especially true if those solutions can be developed as part of their
>ongoing daily activities such as lawn maintenance, conserving electricity
>and water, and recycling.
>
>Age will be a factor.  While the overall average of adult Americans who
>say they would choose the environment over the economy if a choice had to
>be made is 70%, some 77% of those aged 18 to 34 would choose the
>environment while just 57% of those over 65 years of age would do the
>same.  Indeed, generation differences could produce a significant
>pro-environment shift in the next century as the younger generations
>display greater support for environmental protection and assume positions
>of leadership.
>
>Support for environmental regulation is also likely to increase for the
>same reason.  The overall number of adult Americans asking for more
>environmental regulation is a plurality of 47%, but it will likely
>increase to a majority of over 50% in the next ten years or so given the
>aging of baby boomers.
>
>Similarly, gender will play more of a role in our environmental future
>because women, who traditionally are more pro-environment than men, will
>assume greater roles of responsibility in our society.
>
>Recommendations: Strategic Tools for Learning
>
>There is no reason to accept that environmental ignorance should be a
>given in the early 21st century.  Measure can be taken.  The 1999 National
>Report Card makes a number of recommendations to better prepare people so
>that they will be able to effectively take action.  These recommendations
>include:
>
>Creation of a new measurement index for environmental problem-solving that
>looks at how important individuals are to the ultimate solution of the
>problem.  The higher the index's "people" rating, the more education will
>be needed;
>
>A dedication to significant new research on environmental behavior and
>action so that leaders better understand what motivates people to take
>steps to protect the environment and conserve our natural resources;>
>
>Media educators should give particular emphasis to communicating complex
>scientific ideas effectively.  The media is the major source of
>environmental information for a majority of adult Americans
>
>
>The 1999 National Report Card on Environmental Readiness is the eighth
>edition of the National Report Card series and is based on a national
>representative sample of 1,501 Americans, age 18 and older, surveyed by
>Roper Starch Worldwide in May, 1999 by telephone.  The margin of error due
>to sampling is plus or minus two percentage points at the .95 confidence
>level, although it is larger for the results for smaller subgroups of the
>public.
>
>
>Derek Young
>External Affairs Manager
>The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation
>1707 H St, NW, Suite 900
>Washington, D.C. 20006
>202-261-6472
>young@neetf.org
>http://www.neetf.org/
>
>
>
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Lucy K. Bradley
On Sabbatical till January 1, 2001

Extension Agent, Urban Horticulture
Maricopa County
The University of Arizona
Cooperative Extension
4341 E Broadway Rd.
Phoenix, AZ  85040-8807

Phone:  (602) 470-8086 ext 323
Fax:  (602) 470-8092
email:  BradleyL@ag.arizona.edu
http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/

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