See the pattern?
So much so obvious: the American public prioritizes environmental protection less after economic downturns and more during periods of sustained economic growth. Which makes total sense. What I find surprising is the sharp rise in public concern about the environment during the pre-Covid Trump administration, despite the administration’s anti-environmental rhetoric, aggressive deregulation and cost-cutting measures*. Apparently, the administration’s top-down messaging was unable to override the inclination of Americans to care more about nature when bread-and-butters worries subside. And the years before Covid were good times, economically-speaking. Unfortunately, times are tough now and will likely remain so for some time (what with tariffs and trade wars).
Environmentalists will have to change their tune if they want more converts to the cause. Calls to sacrifice for the greater environmental good won’t do it when people are worrying more about their own near-futures than the further-off future of the planet, especially when the sacrifice involves higher prices or higher taxes. Environmentalists will have to lecture less, listen more, and try harder to address the very real costs associated with environmental protection.
And governments should avoid imposing environmental laws and regulations without significant public outreach and buy-in. Otherwise, the public may very well vote them out of office come next election.
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* For examples, see previous posts:
Commentary on Plans for Environmental Programs under a Second Trump Administration, Part I: The USDA
Politics and the Environment, Part I: The Trump Administration's Record