Environment lags in poll of concerns

[MtnBiker]

Environment lags in poll of concerns


By Jennifer Harper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES


Green seems to be fading: Gallup's annual Earth Day poll has found that the environment is near the bottom of the nation's concerns, outranking only worries about race relations.
Thirty-five percent of Americans fret over the quality of the environment, according to the poll of 1,005 randomly selected adults conducted March 8-11 and released yesterday. It is "not a pressing concern," said Gallup Organization analyst Lydia Saad. The poll has a margin of error of three percentage points.

Democrats tend to be most concerned about environmental issues, with 45 percent saying they worry "a great deal" about the environment while 28 percent rate the environment's condition as "excellent or good." Among Republicans, the figures were 18 percent and 62 percent, respectively.
Forty-four percent of all respondents felt economic growth should take precedence over environmental protection — a significant increase for a historic "key indicator of public sympathy toward the environmental movement." It stood at 23 percent in 2000 and at 19 percent in 1990.

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[Hobbit]

Well, now that the kids have stopped being fed hippy bullcrap in school. I had to do so much Earth Day crap in elementary school, it was sickening. Thank goodness I was still too young to realize the load of crap I was being fed, and thank goodness for my parents who kept me from following this load of crap.

 

[MtnBiker]

Link to the Gallup Poll

 

[MtnBiker]

Kyoto is Auschwitz says Kremlin aide
Wed 14 April, 2004 12:53

By Tom Miles

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kyoto Protocol risks killing off the world economy like "an international Auschwitz", says an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Andrei Illarionov, Putin's economic adviser, has recommended the president reject the landmark environmental pact, according to a document obtained by Reuters. That would kill off the treaty, which needs Russia's backing to come into force.

In sardonic remarks quoted by Interfax news agency, the outspoken Illarionov told reporters in Russia's second city of St Petersburg that Kyoto's impact would be devastating.

"The Kyoto Protocol is a death pact, however strange it may sound, because its main aim is to strangle economic growth and economic activity in countries that accept the protocol's requirements," he said.


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Looks like Kyoto is dead as well. I wonder if all of the environmentalists will be pissed at Putin as well?

 

[5stringJeff]

First sensible thing I've ever heard the Russians say!!!

 

[Isaac Brock]

All I hope, is that your are all right in your optimism on the state of the environment. I see little hope for improvement in most Western countries. Without changes to energy efficiency and production as well as sustainable resource generation, we're heading on a dangerous course. I frankly believe we're ignoring our responsibilities to posterity, much like previous generations have done.

Though, I sincerely hope I am wrong.

 

[Avatar4321]

wait, the environment did better than race relations?

 

[menewa]

Originally posted by Hobbit
Well, now that the kids have stopped being fed hippy bullcrap in school. I had to do so much Earth Day crap in elementary school, it was sickening. Thank goodness I was still too young to realize the load of crap I was being fed, and thank goodness for my parents who kept me from following this load of crap.

Hippy bull crap? You do disservice to the name Hobbit. If you'd read Tolkien's work you would know that a beautiful environment is the key of the story. The books are filled with environmental sentiment.

The hippy crap you condescend is scientific fact. Here's a few. The oceans are warming at an alarming rate, causing corral reefs around the globe to fall apart. Most fish use corral reefs to mate, without them, oceanic fish populations will plummet dramatically. They already are due to overfishing and pollutants spilling out of waterways.
The amount of clean freshwater in underground reservoirs is also declining at an unsustainable amount. Here in Texas, the Ogallala Reservoir, the largest in the US, will probably be done in a few decades without proper measures. Goodbye to all mid-Western agriculture.
The number of species currently becoming extinct is occuring faster than it was during the demise of the dinosaurs.
These are just a few.
You should change you username tom Saruman you orc lover.

 

[DKSuddeth]

when mankind has damaged the earth enough, she will rebel. This earth can take care of itself just fine without us, and I do mean without us.

 

[nycflasher]

George Bush's greatest contribution to the enviroment-- indifference.

 

[dilloduck]

I think that most republicans appreciate the need to protect the assets that nature provides. It's the radical approaches and funny science they object to. In Austin we are spending $50,000 to build a breeding building for the Barton Springs salamander (never heard of it have ya). Well it's been named an endangered species and some people think that spending money on it is more important than spending money on people. An issue of priorities possibly?

 

[DKSuddeth]

Originally posted by dilloduck
I think that most republicans appreciate the need to protect the assets that nature provides. It's the radical approaches and funny science they object to. In Austin we are spending $50,000 to build a breeding building for the Barton Springs salamander (never heard of it have ya). Well it's been named an endangered species and some people think that spending money on it is more important than spending money on people. An issue of priorities possibly?

do we know what purpose that salamander serves on the earth? I don't, but its possible that it may be the only creature in texas that keeps some major pest population under control OR by letting it die into oblivion through our haphazard care of the environment we could be faced with some other problem. who knows about priorities anymore?

 

[dilloduck]

Originally posted by DKSuddeth
do we know what purpose that salamander serves on the earth? I don't, but its possible that it may be the only creature in texas that keeps some major pest population under control OR by letting it die into oblivion through our haphazard care of the environment we could be faced with some other problem. who knows about priorities anymore?

No, we really don't know the "purpose" of this salamander nor do we know the "purpose" our lives. We have to make choices and we do make choices even if its by default. The results on the choices will define your priorities--like it or not.

 

[MtnBiker]

Say what you will, the environment is still a diminishing voter concern.

 

[dilloduck]

Agreed---priorites fluctuate. That doesn't mean they care LESS about the environment.

 

[MtnBiker]

Originally posted by dilloduck
Agreed---priorites fluctuate. That doesn't mean they care LESS about the environment.

Very true, another possibility is the average voter believes the environment to be doing quite well despite whatever emotional frenzy some groups try to whip up.

 

[Isaac Brock]

Originally posted by MtnBiker
Say what you will, the environment is still a diminishing voter concern.

No doubt you are correct, but that doesn't make it right. As someone who's the environmental field, I wish I could be more optimistic, but I don't think we're heading in the right direction. I would say there are exceptions with respect to Ozone, Borreal reforestation and perhaps a few others, but things are going to probably get worse before they get better.