The Who's Who in the Environmental Field
How can public UNDERSTANDING of environmental issues be improved?
Perception, awareness, understanding. These terms are often used interchangeably - but they are not the same.
It's clear that the environment and "green" issues have begun to appear with greater and greater frequency in the media. Movies, news articles, "green" products and services, extreme weather events - they all contribute to public awareness of the environment.
But awareness is not the same as understanding.
For example, wind farm developers have learned - the hard way - that reaching out to the community to "teach" them about the benefits of wind is a critical step that has to be executed early in the project plannning and development process. Of course, these developers have an interest in the public reaching a certain [positive] conclusion, but for the most part, they have learned that there is no point in trying to exclude from the process other groups and stakeholders who may have a less positive stand. While both sides may have an agenda, in the end, forcing them to debate each other to "win" the public's support results in the public being presented with a more balanced perspective on the farm.
But is this the most effective way to raise the public's understanding - through conflict and competition? And what does this mean for surveys about environmental issues where the methodology, not to mention the fact that the debate is contributed to and led by many different groups, whose interests and agendas - and sources of funding - are not always clear?
A recent article in Boston.com discussd the results of a new type of polling method - "deliberative polling". According to the article, "With traditional polling, you get a sample of what people think about an issue when they've never thought about it before". With deliberative polling, people were invited to a series of intensive regional workshops aimed at getting them "up to speed on energy issues and then express their feelings about them". The logic behind this method is that "the advantage of deliberative polling is that when people have a chance to learn and think about the issue at hand, they can provide better informed answers than someone being asked questions out of the blue in a telephone survey".
What are your thoughts? How can the environment be "marketed" more effectively - without raising suspicion about the motives behind the "marketing"? How can greater understanding be achieved? What kinds of programs are out there?
It's clear that the environment and "green" issues have begun to appear with greater and greater frequency in the media. Movies, news articles, "green" products and services, extreme weather events - they all contribute to public awareness of the environment.
But awareness is not the same as understanding.
For example, wind farm developers have learned - the hard way - that reaching out to the community to "teach" them about the benefits of wind is a critical step that has to be executed early in the project plannning and development process. Of course, these developers have an interest in the public reaching a certain [positive] conclusion, but for the most part, they have learned that there is no point in trying to exclude from the process other groups and stakeholders who may have a less positive stand. While both sides may have an agenda, in the end, forcing them to debate each other to "win" the public's support results in the public being presented with a more balanced perspective on the farm.
But is this the most effective way to raise the public's understanding - through conflict and competition? And what does this mean for surveys about environmental issues where the methodology, not to mention the fact that the debate is contributed to and led by many different groups, whose interests and agendas - and sources of funding - are not always clear?
A recent article in Boston.com discussd the results of a new type of polling method - "deliberative polling". According to the article, "With traditional polling, you get a sample of what people think about an issue when they've never thought about it before". With deliberative polling, people were invited to a series of intensive regional workshops aimed at getting them "up to speed on energy issues and then express their feelings about them". The logic behind this method is that "the advantage of deliberative polling is that when people have a chance to learn and think about the issue at hand, they can provide better informed answers than someone being asked questions out of the blue in a telephone survey".
What are your thoughts? How can the environment be "marketed" more effectively - without raising suspicion about the motives behind the "marketing"? How can greater understanding be achieved? What kinds of programs are out there?
About
"In the Spotlight" - Featured Items
Enterpreneurs
We're trying to make the world a better place!....Come Join Us!
Featured Discussion:
How can public understanding of environmental issues be improved?
Perception, awareness, understanding. These terms are often used interchangeably - but they are not the same.... Read More
Featured New Post:
Time To Move On to the Next Bubble: Clean Energy
The U.S. economy is a bubble economy -- going from bubble to crash to the next mania -- and the new bubble is likely to be clean energy, says Wall Street insider Eric Janszen....Read More
Featured Photo:
Tree at sunrise
Featured Video:
SIMS 2 & Nelly Furtado join to save the environment
Environmental Books
Page through the Green4Green on-line store for books and products related to the environment and outdoors. Browse around!
Topics for Discussion
What Do You Think?
Let's hear your thoughts on these topics:
- Are you concerned that governments may use climate change policy to limit your lifestyle choices?
- Should government subsidize renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and ethanol?
- Voluntary programs or regulatory mandates: Which is the more effective way to achieve environmental performance?
- Which is more likely to produce clean alternative energy, the private sector or the government?
Let's hear your thoughts on these topics:
- Are you concerned that governments may use climate change policy to limit your lifestyle choices?
- Should government subsidize renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and ethanol?
- Voluntary programs or regulatory mandates: Which is the more effective way to achieve environmental performance?
- Which is more likely to produce clean alternative energy, the private sector or the government?
Cool Tools
© 2009 Created by Ian Kaplan on Ning. Create Your Own Social Network
