September 26, 2002
New Survey Shows South Floridians Strongly Favor Protecting
Everglades
Over Economic Development
Contact: Alan Farago, Everglades Committee co-chair
305-796-3082
(September 26, 2002) Results of a new survey by
Princeton Survey
Research Associates, Inc. for the John S. and James L. Knight
Foundation
confirm overwhelming public support in South Florida for
protection of
the Everglades even at the expense of economic growth.
The survey reports, “Despite economic unease, protecting the
Everglades
is far more important to South Florida residents than economic
growth.
When asked if economic growth or the Everglades should be given
the
priority, better than seven in ten residents in all three
counties
choose protecting the Everglades, “even at the risk of curbing
economic
growth”. No more than 22 percent in any county say economic
growth
should get the nod, “even if the Everglades suffer to some
extent”
(Survey results, page 21). The survey by PSRA was conducted in
three
counties, in the first part of May, 2002.
Sierra Club is America’s oldest conservation organization,
with more
than 25,000 members in the Florida chapter. The survey results
support
Sierra Club’s view that public attitudes toward the Everglades
are often
under-reported. The survey results should cause media and public
officials to review the so-called “balance” between economic
growth and
the environment.
Sierra Club hopes that survey results will help public
officials examine
Everglades policies that are biased in favor of economic
development,
when the public is clearly in the mood for limiting growth in
order to
protect the Everglades. The mid-term election campaigns provide
an
excellent opportunity for candidates to state whether they agree
with
strong public consensus that protecting the Everglades is far
more
important to South Florida residents than economic growth.
The debate should now focus on why public officials fail to
check the
continued massive growth of cities and Big Agriculture,
destroying the
Everglades notwithstanding the public commitment to Everglades
restoration.
Copyright © 2002 Knight
Foundation All rights reserved.