Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Perceptions of environmental problems and solutions in Florida across sectors: A survey of key stakeholders and the public

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Ambio Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We build on environmental attitude research to provide a foundation for considering policies making economic and environmental trade-offs. We conducted a large online survey of Florida public attitudes (n = 829), a state grappling with trade-offs between economic development and environmental quality. Findings provide the first baseline understanding of Floridian perceptions of relationships between key economic drivers and the environment. Environmental problems were generally considered important and pro-environmental policy options are highly supported. The environment was considered more important to Florida’s culture and future than key industries, with only tourism considered more important to the economy. Development was considered least important. Individual differences, including gender, political party, and industry affiliation, predicted policy support and attitudes toward trade-offs. Modeled together, attitudes toward government involvement and the importance of the environment to Florida predicted additional variance in policy support. Results highlight the intersection of social identities and ideological attitudes in shaping environmental policy attitudes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams, V.M., M. Mills, R. Weeks, D.B. Segan, R.L. Pressey, G.G. Gurney, C. Groves, F.W. Davis, et al. 2019. Implementation strategies for systematic conservation planning. Ambio 48: 139–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-018-1067-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, C.C., and F.G. Renaud. 2021. A review of public acceptance of nature-based solutions: The ‘why’, ‘when’, and ‘how’ of success for disaster risk reduction measures. Ambio 50: 1552–1573. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01502-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Appelt, J.L., D.C. Garcia Rojas, P.H. Verburg, and J. van Vliet. 2022. Socioeconomic outcomes of agricultural land use change in Southeast Asia. Ambio 51: 1094–1109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-022-01712-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Associated General Contractors of America (AGC of America). 2019. The economic impact of construction in the United State and Florida. https://files.agc.org/files/economic_state_facts/FLstim.pdf. Accessed 24 April 2022.

  • Backer, L.C. 2009. Impacts of Florida red tides on coastal communities. Harmful Algae 8: 618–622.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Backer, L.C., L.E. Fleming, A. Rowan, Y.S. Cheng, J. Benson, R.H. Pierce, J. Zaias, J. Bean, et al. 2003. Recreational exposure to aerosolized brevetoxins during Florida red tide events. Harmful Algae 2: 19–28.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bergquist, P., and C. Warshaw. 2020. Elections and parties in environmental politics. In Handbook of US environmental policy (pp. 126–141). Edward Elgar Publishing.

  • Birch, S. 2020. Political polarization and environmental attitudes: A cross-national analysis. Environmental Politics 29: 697–718. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2019.1673997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boström-Einarsson, L., R.C. Babcock, E. Bayraktarov, D. Ceccarelli, N. Cook, S.C. Ferse, B. Hancock, P. Harrison, et al. 2020. Coral restoration–A systematic review of current methods, successes, failures and future directions. PLoS ONE 15: e0226631.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camp, E.V., W.E. Pine III., K. Havens, A.S. Kane, C.J. Walters, T. Irani, A.B. Lindsey, and J.G. Morris Jr. 2015. Collapse of a historic oyster fishery: Diagnosing causes and identifying paths toward increased resilience. Ecology and Society. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-07821-200345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapin, F.S., E.U. Weber, E.M. Bennett, R. Biggs, J. van den Bergh, W.N. Adger, A.-S. Crépin, S. Polasky, et al. 2022. Earth stewardship: Shaping a sustainable future through interacting policy and norm shifts. Ambio 51: 1907–1920. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-022-01721-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choe, Y., and M.A. Schuett. 2020. Stakeholders’ perceptions of social and environmental changes affecting Everglades National Park in South Florida. Environmental Development 35: 100524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, A.K., and J.E. Carlisle. 2020. Pushing a green agenda: Explaining shifting public support for environmental spending. Political Research Quarterly 73: 243–260. https://doi.org/10.1177/1065912918817193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clémençon, R. 2021. Is sustainable development bad for global biodiversity conservation? Global Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2021.14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cosby, P.H. 2014. Nature on a Leash: Tourism, development, and the environment on Amelia Island, Florida. The Florida Historical Quarterly 92: 746–775.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crandall, C.A., M. Monroe, J. Dutka-Gianelli, and K. Lorenzen. 2019. Meaningful action gives satisfaction: Stakeholder perspectives on participation in the management of marine recreational fisheries. Ocean & Coastal Management 179: 104872.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cruz, S.M. 2017. The relationships of political ideology and party affiliation with environmental concern: A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology 53: 81–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dalerum, F. 2014. Identifying the role of conservation biology for solving the environmental crisis. Ambio 43: 839–846. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-014-0546-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Krom, M.P. 2017. Farmer participation in agri-environmental schemes: Regionalisation and the role of bridging social capital. Land Use Policy 60: 352–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz, T., A. Dan, and R. Shwom. 2007. Support for climate change policy: Social psychological and social structural influences. Rural Sociology 72: 185–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunlap, R., K.V. Liere, A. Mertig, and R.E. Jones. 2000. Measuring endorsement of the new ecological paradigm: A revised NEP scale. Journal of Social Issues 56: 425–442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fielding, K.S., D.J. Terry, B.M. Masser, and M.A. Hogg. 2008. Integrating social identity theory and the theory of planned behaviour to explain decisions to engage in sustainable agricultural practices. British Journal of Social Psychology 47: 23–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fielding, K.S., and M.J. Hornsey. 2016. A social identity analysis of climate change and environmental attitudes and behaviors: Insights and opportunities. Frontiers in Psychology 7: 121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, P.M., K. Stephenson, A.S. Collick, and Z.M. Easton. 2022. Targeting for nonpoint source pollution reduction: A synthesis of lessons learned, remaining challenges, and emerging opportunities. Journal of Environmental Management 308: 114649.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Flewelling, L.J., J.P. Naar, J.P. Abbott, D.G. Baden, N.B. Barros, G.D. Bossart, M.-Y.D. Bottein, D.G. Hammond, et al. 2005. Red tides and marine mammal mortalities. Nature 435: 755–756.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FL DEO). 2020. Florida’s March employment figures released. http://lmsresources.labormarketinfo.com/library/press/release.pdf. Accessed 24 April 2022.

  • Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research (FL EDR). 2018. Florida: An economic overview. http://edr.state.fl.us/content/presentations/economic/FlEconomicOverview_12-26-18.pdf. Accessed 24 April 2022.

  • Giantari, I.G.A.K., and I.P.G. Sukaatmadja. 2021. Effects of environmental orientation, green marketing mix and social capital on the competitive advantage of real estate developers in Bali. Property Management 39: 193–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, L. 2017. Tracking state trends in environmental public opinion. The Social Science Journal 54: 287–294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2017.02.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, J.A., N.A. Marshall, A. Birtles, P. Case, M.I. Curnock, and G.G. Gurney. 2018. On the relationship between attitudes and environmental behaviors of key Great Barrier Reef user groups. Ecology and Society 23: 19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gössling, S., and P. Peeters. 2007. ‘It does not harm the environment!’ An analysis of industry discourses on tourism, air travel and the environment. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 15: 402–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groffman, P.M., C. Stylinski, M.C. Nisbet, C.M. Duarte, R. Jordan, A. Burgin, M.A. Previtali, and J. Coloso. 2010. Restarting the conversation: Challenges at the interface between ecology and society. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 8: 284–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haas, A.R., T. Fedler, and E.J. Brooks. 2017. The contemporary economic value of elasmobranchs in The Bahamas: Reaping the rewards of 25 years of stewardship and conservation. Biological Conservation 207: 55–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harring, N., S.C. Jagers, and S. Matti. 2017. Public support for pro-environmental policy measures: Examining the impact of personal values and ideology. Sustainability 9: 679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heil, C.A., and K.A. Steidinger. 2009. Monitoring, management, and mitigation of Karenia blooms in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Harmful Algae 8: 611–617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hickel, J. 2019. The contradiction of the sustainable development goals: Growth versus ecology on a finite planet. Sustainable Development 27: 873–884.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, P.D., W.M. Adams, J.P. Brosius, A. Zia, N. Bariola, and J.L. Dammert. 2011. Acknowledging conservation trade-offs and embracing complexity. Conservation Biology 25: 259–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, A.W., M. Rahmani, and T.J. Stevens. 2015. Economic contributions of agriculture, natural resources, and food industries in Florida in 2013. EDIS report FE969. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

  • Jagers, S.C., N. Harring, and S. Matti. 2018. Environmental management from left to right–on ideology, policy-specific beliefs and pro-environmental policy support. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 61: 86–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jepson, M.E. 2004. The impact of tourism on a natural resource community: Cultural resistance in Cortez, Florida. PhD Thesis. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida.

  • Johnson, E.W., and P. Schwadel. 2019. Political polarization and long-term change in public support for environmental spending. Social Forces 98: 915–941.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, M. 2015. Environmentalism and environmental constitutional ballot initiatives in Florida: The elements of support for amendment one in 2014 in the context of current environmental attitudes. Electronic Theses and Dissertations. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/1376.

  • Kidd, L.R., G.E. Garrard, S.A. Bekessy, M. Mills, A.R. Camilleri, F. Fidler, K. Fielding, A. Gordon, et al. 2019. Messaging matters: A systematic review of the conservation messaging literature. Biological Conservation 236: 92–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Konisky, D.M., J. Milyo, and L.E. Richardson. 2008. Environmental policy attitudes: Issues, geographical scale, and political trust. Social Science Quarterly 89: 1066–1085.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, B.J., T.W. Davis, K.A. Meyer, B.H. Rosen, J.A. Goleski, G.J. Dick, G. Oh, and C.J. Gobler. 2018. Nitrogen limitation, toxin synthesis potential, and toxicity of cyanobacterial populations in Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie River Estuary, Florida, during the 2016 state of emergency event. PLoS ONE 13: e0196278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landsberg, J.H. 2002. The effects of harmful algal blooms on aquatic organisms. Reviews in Fisheries Science 10: 113–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larkin, S.L., and C.M. Adams. 2007. Harmful algal blooms and coastal business: Economic consequences in Florida. Society and Natural Resources 20: 849–859.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacManus, S.A., T.R. Dye, A. Jewett, and D.J. Bonanza. 2011. Politics in Florida. Orlando: John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCright, A.M. 2010. The effects of gender on climate change knowledge and concern in the American public. Population and Environment 32: 66–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCright, A.M., C. Xiao, and R.E. Dunlap. 2014. Political polarization on support for government spending on environmental protection in the USA, 1974–2012. Social Science Research 48: 251–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 2020. Fast Facts – Florida. https://coast.noaa.gov/states/florida.html. Accessed 24 April 2022.

  • Nieminen, E., S. Kareksela, P. Halme, and J.S. Kotiaho. 2021. Quantifying trade-offs between ecological gains, economic costs, and landowners’ preferences in boreal mire protection. Ambio 50: 1841–1850. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01530-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, J.J., C. Smith, and J. Bellamy. 2013. Understanding enabling capacities for managing the ‘wicked problem’ of nonpoint source water pollution in catchments: A conceptual framework. Journal of Environmental Management 128: 441–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pomeroy, R., and F. Douvere. 2008. The engagement of stakeholders in the marine spatial planning process. Marine Policy 32: 816–822.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pomeroy, R.S., M.B. Mascia, and R.B. Pollnac. 2007. Marine protected areas: The social dimension. In Report and documentation of the expert workshop on marine protected areas and fisheries management: Review of issues and considerations. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

  • Precht, W.F., and S.L. Miller. 2007. Ecological shifts along the Florida reef tract: The past as a key to the future. In Geological approaches to coral reef ecology, ed. R.B. Aronson, 237–312. New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rauwald, K.S., and C.F. Moore. 2002. Environmental attitudes as predictors of policy support across three countries. Environment and Behavior 34: 709–739.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rockport Analytics. 2018. Picking up the pace: Florida’s tourism performance jumps into a higher gear: The 2018 Contribution of Travel & Tourism to the Florida Economy. https://www.visitflorida.org/media/30679/florida-visitor-economic-large-impactstudy.pdf. Accessed 24 April 2022.

  • Safford, T.G., K.C. Norman, M. Henly, K.E. Mills, and P.S. Levin. 2014. Environmental awareness and public support for protecting and restoring Puget sound. Environmental Management 53: 757–768. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-014-0236-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakowicz, J.C. 2004. Urban sprawl: Florida’s and Maryland’s approaches. Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law 19: 377–424.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schittone, J. 2001. Tourism vs. commercial fishers: Development and changing use of Key West and Stock Island, Florida. Ocean & Coastal Management 44: 15–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, D., P. Peeters, and S. Gössling. 2010. Can tourism deliver its “aspirational” greenhouse gas emission reduction targets? Journal of Sustainable Tourism 18: 393–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharpley, R. 2020. Tourism, sustainable development and the theoretical divide: 20 years on. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 28: 1932–1946.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherwood, E.T., H.S. Greening, J.R. Johansson, K. Kaufman, and G.E. Raulerson. 2017. Tampa Bay (Florida, USA) documenting seagrass recovery since the 1980’s and reviewing the benefits. Southeastern Geographer 57: 294–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, S., and M. Jepson. 1993. Big fish, little fish: Politics and power in the regulation of Florida’s marine resources. Social Problems 40: 39–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P.C. 2000. New environmental theories: Toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behavior. Journal of Social Issues 56: 407–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suding, K.N. 2011. Toward an era of restoration in ecology: Successes, failures, and opportunities ahead. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 42: 465–487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suman, D., M. Shivlani, and J.W. Milon. 1999. Perceptions and attitudes regarding marine reserves: A comparison of stakeholder groups in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Ocean & Coastal Management 42: 1019–1040.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Urban, P., and M. Hametner. 2022. The economy-environment Nexus: Sustainable development goals interlinkages in Austria. Sustainability 14: 12281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walton, T.L., Jr. 2007. Projected sea level rise in Florida. Ocean Engineering 34: 1832–1840.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wan, C., G.Q. Shen, and S. Choi. 2017. A review on political factors influencing public support for urban environmental policy. Environmental Science & Policy 75: 70–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wan, C., G.Q. Shen, and A. Yu. 2015. Key determinants of willingness to support policy measures on recycling: A case study in Hong Kong. Environmental Science & Policy 54: 409–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wester, J., D. Turffs, K. McEntee, C. Pankow, N. Perni, J. Jerome, and C. Macdonald. 2022. Agriculture and downstream ecosystems in Florida: An analysis of media discourse. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22475-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiedmann, T., M. Lenzen, L.T. Keyßer, and J.K. Steinberger. 2020. Scientists’ warning on affluence. Nature Communications 11: 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao, C., and A.M. McCright. 2015. Gender differences in environmental concern: Revisiting the institutional trust hypothesis in the USA. Environment and Behavior 47: 17–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoder, L., and R.R. Chowdhury. 2018. Tracing social capital: How stakeholder group interactions shape agricultural water quality restoration in the Florida Everglades. Land Use Policy 77: 354–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoder, L., R.R. Chowdhury, and C. Hauck. 2020. Watershed restoration in the Florida Everglades: Agricultural water management and long-term trends in nutrient outcomes in the Everglades Agricultural Area. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 302: 107070.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, M. 2013. A multidimensional analysis of public environmental concern in Canada. Canadian Review of Sociology/revue Canadienne De Sociologie 50: 453–481. https://doi.org/10.1111/cars.12028.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our funders, the Pierce Family Foundation and the Greenacres Foundation for their support of this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, University of Miami, 1365 Memorial Dr #230J, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA

    Julia Wester

  2. Field School, 3109 Grand Avenue #154, Miami, FL, 33133, USA

    Julia Wester & Catherine Macdonald

  3. Field School Foundation, 3109 Grand Avenue #154, Miami, FL, 33133, USA

    Julia Wester

  4. Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL, 33149, USA

    Catherine Macdonald

Authors
  1. Julia Wester
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Catherine Macdonald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julia Wester.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts to declare.

Ethical approval

The research protocol for this study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Miami (protocol #20191209). This included approved procedures for confirming informed consent from all participants.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wester, J., Macdonald, C. Perceptions of environmental problems and solutions in Florida across sectors: A survey of key stakeholders and the public. Ambio 52, 1098–1111 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01829-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01829-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation