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Public interest in the environment is falling: a response to Ficetola (2013)

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Abstract

McCallum and Bury (Biodiv Conserv 22:1355–1367, 2013) used internet search analysis to reveal the public’s falling interest in the environment. Ficetola (Biodiv Conserv 81.1:117–142, 2013) challenged these findings. He argued that “even though the proportion of queries went down, the absolute number went up”, interest may be growing, and the apparent changes in interest were artifacts of expanded use of the internet. We demonstrate why the proportion of the public, not the numbers of individuals drives policy, discuss the implications of proportional shares of interest for environmental policy, and address the concerns discussed by Ficetola (2013). Considering the growing evidence of fading public interest in the environment, and the devastating repercussions that this could have; it is clear that we must rapidly develop strategies to counter this alarming trend.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Studies, University of Illinois at Springfield, Springfield, IL, 62703, USA

    Malcolm L. McCallum

  2. Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Gwendolynn W. Bury

Authors
  1. Malcolm L. McCallum
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  2. Gwendolynn W. Bury
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Correspondence to Malcolm L. McCallum.

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Communicated by Peter Bridgewater.

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McCallum, M.L., Bury, G.W. Public interest in the environment is falling: a response to Ficetola (2013). Biodivers Conserv 23, 1057–1062 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0640-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0640-7

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