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Long-term trends in environmental awareness 

by | May 9, 2020 | Environmental Law

Environmental awareness encompasses many different things, but it is generally just a term that refers to the knowledge that the public has about environmental dangers, steps to take to avoid harming the environment, and the ramifications of failing to do so.

Now, you can certainly find many examples of a lack of environmental awareness or even those who deny certain aspects of it altogether. As with anything, blanket statements are dangerous, and it shouldn’t be said that everyone understands or comprehends these issues in the same way.

That said, long-term trends show that awareness has been growing and has even become somewhat mainstream. In previous decades, it was more of a polarizing issue. It still is with some today, but it is far more accepted and understood at a general level than it was before.

Even those who disagree with environmental policies often agree with the general ideas behind them. They know about the ramifications of air pollution, for instance. They may think that the policies go too far or they may oppose them for other reasons, but they do not deny that air pollution exists or that it damages the planet.

Why has this change happened? There are many reasons, but one is just that it is not a new idea. Young people today have grown up hearing about environmental issues and they just take them in stride, rather than being introduced to them at a later age.

The result of this awareness, of course, is that there are many regulations governing things that could harm the environment. It’s important for business owners to know what steps to take and what regulations to follow.