Australia Yearbook - 2001

Chapter 14—Environment 579
Introduction
The passage of one hundred years since
Federation has seen the development of
significant environmental problems and
challenges for the nation. Major environmental
issues facing Australia today include: land
degradation and clearing (mainly for agricultural
purposes); declining water quality and health of
the major river systems; increasing pollution and
waste from urban and industrial centres; the
invasion and spread of exotic plants and animals;
greenhouse gas emissions and the related threat
of climate change; and the ongoing loss of
biodiversity. Other important environmental
issues include the pressure on natural ecosystems
from overfishing, and the extraction of timber
from native forests and woodlands. These
pressures have arisen from the use of the
environment for economic and social benefit.
The socioeconomic dimensions of ecological
problems are important because these pressures
drive the scale and nature of our impacts on the
environment in Australia. A related but less
obvious consideration is the attitudes and values
of people in Australia. Although difficult to
measure, values and attitudes affect
environmental outcomes through expression at
the ballot box, household behaviour, and
patterns of consumption.
Australia’s growing economy has brought
prosperity to many Australians. However,
environmental degradation arising from our
economic activities has consequences for the
social, economic and environmental options of
present and future generations. It is not possible
to cover comprehensively the complex
interactions between socioeconomic forces and
environmental outcomes here. What follows is a
selection of information on: the environmental
attitudes and behaviours of Australian
households; waste generation and disposal; the
importance of biodiversity; management of
Australia’s inland waters; management of the
coastal and marine environment; management of
forest and land resources; and local government
spending on protecting the environment.
Environmental attitudes and
behaviour in Australian
households
Concern for environmental
problems
The attitudes of people influence political
decision-making on environmental issues; the
ABS has conducted two household surveys to
gather a range of information on the views and
attitudes of adult Australians on environmental
issues. In 1992 a sample of Australians aged 18
and over was asked if they were concerned about
environmental problems; about 75% responded
that they were. In 1999 the proportion of people
answering ‘yes’ to the same question fell to 68%.
The ABS also collected data on environmental
concerns by age group in 1992 and 1999.
By relating the two sets of data it is possible to
compare the environmental views of adult
Australians as they have aged; the 18 to 24 year
olds of 1992, for example, are the same group (or
cohort) being sampled as 25 to 31 year olds in
1999, seven years later.
14.1 PERSONS CONCERNED ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, Comparison of
Cohorts—1992 and 1999
Age group
18–24(1992), 25–31(1999)
25–31(1992), 32–38(1999)
32–38(1992), 39–45(1999)
39–45(1992), 46–52(1999)
46–52(1992), 53–59(1999)
53–59(1992), 60–66(1999)
0 20 40 60 80 100
%
Source: Environmental Issues: People's Views and Practices (4602.0).
1992
1999