US More Concerned about Local than Global
In a recent study, an interesting factoid has been discovered. According to a survey of 1,000 American adults, local and national environmental issues are of more concern, than global issues like global warming and climate change.
“The survey’s core result is that people care about their communities and express the desire to see government action taken toward local and national issues,” said David Konisky, who conducted the survey.
A policy research scholar at the Institute of Public Policy, Konisky is also an assistant professor in the Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri. In polling, Konisky enquired about peoples level of concern for the environment, and their preferences for what action the government should take on a wide variety of environmental issues.
“People are hesitant to support efforts concerning global issues even though they believe that environmental quality is poorer at the global level than at the local and national level. This is surprising given the media attention that global warming has recently received and reflects the division of opinion about the severity of climate change.”
Konisky’s survey found that a vast majority of respondents expressed concern about the environment, but were more community minded in their concerns. The top three issues that respondents wanted governments to address were protecting community drinking water, reducing pollution in US water ways, and improving urban air quality.
“Americans are clearly most concerned about pollution issues that might affect their personal health, or the health of their families,” Konisky said.
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Josh- this is interesting. Being a student of comparative politics, I wonder what such surveys would reveal about other countries. I’d be very interested in comparing the two datasets to each other.
I think education is key to having a concern for global issues. Local issues have always been a concern NIMBY (Not In My Backyard Syndrome) and will always thrive when individuals feel that they can and do have a say in local issues. Global issues are harder to grasp and to be honest, the media do not cover these issues well and in detail.
Environmentalism starts at home, we can each and every one of us do something to conserve the environment which is at least a step in the right direction as these can, and do, have wider global impact. Look at consumers efforts to buy organic and fair trade products, to lessen their carbon footprint. Millions support conservation of the rain forests and wildlife and assist victims of poverty and environmental catastrophes.
Essentially, we are survivalists and will protect ourselves and loved ones first when we feel we are empowered to do so. Then we can look at the bigger picture.
As Timothy mentions, it would be very interesting to have this survey conducted in other countries (both developed and developing) to compare notes.
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Do you REALLY think that the UN can do this? I worked for a UN agency in Geneva and all I saw was selfishness and rorting to gain persoanl advancement! The UN agencies compete for premier place — e.g. WMO fighting UNESCO to ‘own’ cliatme — what hope for the world when its “united” agencies do this? Try to think in emergency terms http://www.climatechangetriage.net