Earth Day, 35 Years Later

Subject: Public Agenda Alert - Earth Day, 35 Years Later
From: public-agenda-online-alert
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 15:53:09 -0400

[April 22, 2005] is the 35th annual Earth Day, to be marked by educational programs, tree planting, litter cleanups and other events around the nation. There has been a lot of progress since 1970, but still a lot of controversy over exactly what should be done about the environment.

Surveys find Americans give mixed signals on just how important protecting the environment is to them. On one hand, a large majority feels that environmental protection is a high legislative priority, with most people saying that they worry "a great deal" about pollution and sympathize with environmental concerns. On the other hand, most Americans say they are satisfied with the environment where they work and live, and recent surveys indicate that issues like education, health care, and Social Security will be more important considerations.

Surveys also show a decline over the past decade in levels of public identification with the environmental movement and public support for stricter environmental laws.

When surveys ask people to choose between the environment and the economy, answers change depending on how well the economy is doing; and many resist the choice even during prosperous times. When the economy was doing well in 2000, two-thirds of Americans said they favored protecting the environment even at the expense of economic growth. But during the sluggish times of 1992 and 2003, less than half of Americans favored giving priority to the environment.

Disclaimer: This information is being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; the information does not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Hamilton Fish Institute, The George Washington University, or the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual. The information was abstracted from an electronic newsletter produced and distributed by Public Agenda. The Hamilton Fish Institute, The George Washington University, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention bear no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the information or for that of subsequent links. For more information about the survey, contact Public Agenda – mailto:support@publicagenda.org – 6 East 39th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10016.

Page Updated: April 22, 2005