The Scottish Government

The key findings of the 2002 survey were:

1. Background to the Survey

1.1 This bulletin presents some key findings about public attitudes to the environment in Scotland from a survey undertaken during the first half of 2002. It briefly describes the survey methods before presenting public attitudes to various important environmental issues. In some cases comparisons are made with the findings from the 1991 survey on attitudes to the environment in Scotland ¹. The full report of the 2002 study with detailed analysis will be published early in 2003.

1.2 The Survey of Public Attitudes to the Environment was commissioned by the Scottish Executive, in conjunction with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Forestry Commission, to provide information on public views on a wide range of environmental issues. For some topics it updates the information collected in the 1991 survey undertaken by the Scottish Office. A representative sample of 4,119 people throughout Scotland was surveyed between February and June 2002 ².

1.3 There were two versions of the questionnaire (A and B). Version A of the questionnaire was answered by 1,989 people, Version B was answered by 2,130 people. All 4,119 people answered some core questions, common to both questionnaires. The topics covered by each questionnaire are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Topics covered by the questionnaires used in the survey

2. Concern about environmental issues

2.1 Respondents were presented with 23 environmental issues and asked how worried they felt about each issue. Almost half those surveyed said they were very worried about two issues - 'raw sewage put into the sea' (49%), and 'nuclear waste' (47%). Around a third of people were very worried about 'damage to the ozone layer' (34%), and three in ten were very worried about 'pollution of rivers, lochs and seas' (30%). Concern was lowest for 'fish farming' (just 7% very worried), 'lack of access to parks' (10%), and 'forestry' and 'farming methods' (each 11%). The full findings are shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Level of concern about a range of environmental issues ¹

2.2 The same list of issues was considered in 1991, with just one item, 'genetically modified crops', added in 2002. Comparing the findings between the two surveys we see that in the last decade, levels of concern have fallen for many of the top-ranked issues, often quite steeply. As in 2002, the top ranked concern in 1991 was 'raw sewage put into the sea', but at that time 58% of respondents were very concerned about this compared with 49% in 2002 ³. Those very worried about the issue of 'pollution of rivers, lochs and seas' fell from 57% to 30%, while those very worried about 'fumes and smoke from factories' declined from 40% to 20%. For a number of issues concern did not fall over the last decade, but increased. These issues include 'new development in the countryside', 'lack of access to parks' and 'fish farming' - each issues where concern was previously low. The proportion of people very worried about 'new development in the countryside' increased from 6% in 1991 to 15% in 2002. Chart 1 gives a comparison between 1991 and 2002 for 'very worried' responses.

Chart 1: Comparison of environmental concerns for 1991 and 2002

2.3 In terms of the prioritisation of environmental concerns, in the past decade there has been a decline in the ranking of several issues ⁴. These include worry about 'fumes and smoke from factories' (7 to 13=), 'acid rain' (9 to 13=), 'global warming' (5 to 9=), 'forestry' (16 to 19=), 'pollution of rivers, lochs and seas' (2 to 4) and 'farming methods' (17 to 19=).

2.4 Over the same period, some issues have moved up the rankings. These include concern about 'protection of wildlife' (12 to 5), 'road traffic' (8 to 6=), 'pesticides, fertilisers and chemical sprays' (10 to 8), 'waste disposal' (11 to 9=), 'using up non-renewable resources' (14 to 12) and 'new development in the countryside' (19 to 17).

3. Quality of river, loch and sea water

3.1 As shown in Table 2, pollution of rivers, lochs and seas was an issue of notable concern, with 75% of respondents very worried or quite worried about it - although concern has declined since 1991. Looking at this in more detail, we find that in 2002, as in 1991, those surveyed were more concerned about the quality of seawater off Scottish beaches than water in rivers and lochs.

3.2 Almost six in ten of those surveyed (58%) believed that river or loch water in their local area was unpolluted or fairly good quality. However, a quarter of respondents felt it was poor quality and 6% said it was grossly polluted. Slightly fewer people in 2002 than in 1991 expressed the view that water was good quality but fewer took the view that water was poor quality as well (in 2002, 10% of people did not express a view, while in 1991 everybody gave an opinion).

3.3 To take the issue beyond people's local area, in 2002 a new question was asked relating to water quality in most Scottish rivers and lochs. Seven in ten respondents were of the opinion that water in most rivers and lochs in Scotland was good or very good quality compared with one in five who described the quality as poor or very poor. These findings are better than those for the local area, perhaps reflecting the fact that many people lived in urban areas where water is felt to be polluted, but were aware that water elsewhere is of a higher quality ⁵.

3.4 Three per cent of those surveyed believed the seawater off Scottish beaches to be unpolluted with a further 28% saying it was fairly good quality. Six in ten described seawater as poor quality or grossly polluted. In 1991, seven in ten people thought seawater was poor quality or grossly polluted, however it should be noted that the questions were not identical (in 2002, 8% of responses were 'don't know', while this was not an option in 1991) ⁶.

Chart 2: Attitudes to water quality in rivers, lochs and the sea around Scotland, 2002 ⁷

Sample sizes = 4,119

4. Quality of drinking water

4.1 Although the quality of drinking water is an issue that concerned over half of those surveyed (see Table 2), just over three quarters of respondents (76%) said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their tap water. Fifteen per cent were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. In total, a quarter of respondents reported that they noticed 'cloudiness in their tap water (taking time to clear in a glass)', 20% noticed a 'chemical taste or smell', 10% that the 'tap water was an unusual colour (not cloudy)' and 1% that the 'tap water makes people who drink it ill'. Six in ten respondents noticed none of these things.

4.2 Almost seven in ten respondents (69%) said there had been no change in their drinking water quality in the past 5 years, 9% said it had got better and 12% said it had got worse. The remaining 9% gave a 'don't know' response. Over six in ten (61%) thought their drinking water would not change in the next 5 years, 21% thought it would get better and 8% thought it would get worse. Again, 9% said they did not know.

Chart 3: Views on quality of drinking water

Sample size = 2,130

4.3 Over a quarter of respondents (26%) said they usually drink bottled water at home and 3% said they normally drink filtered water. When away from home in Scotland, over half the respondents said they tend not to drink tap water (53%), while 44% were happy to drink tap water.

5. Wildlife protection

5.1 Protection of wildlife is one of the environmental issues where the level of concern has risen since 1991. In 2002, this was fifth in the list of concerns, while in 1991 it was twelfth.

5.2 Seven in ten of those surveyed thought it was very important to protect wildlife and habitats in Scotland, and almost all the remainder (27%) thought it was quite important to do this. Four per cent thought wildlife and habitats were very well protected at present, a further 55% thought they were quite well protected.

5.3 Respondents were asked what they thought the greatest threats to wildlife and habitats were. They could select up to three. Over half of those surveyed (54%) identified 'new developments and roads being built in the countryside'. A similar percentage selected 'industrial pollution', while over four in ten included 'crimes against wildlife' within their three greatest threats.

5.4 Asked their views on different methods of wildlife protection, nine in ten respondents thought that 'fining people for wildlife crimes (such as shooting or poisoning birds, stealing birds' eggs or rare plants, and cruelty to protected wild animals)' would be a good way to protect wildlife and habitats. Almost two thirds thought that sending people to prison for such activities would be a good way to protect wildlife and habitats.

5.5 Over nine in ten respondents thought 'fining companies for causing pollution that significantly harmed wildlife and habitats' would be a good way to protect the environment. Just over five in ten thought sending senior managers and company bosses to prison for causing such pollution would be a good way to protect wildlife and habitats.

Chart 4: Perceived threats to wildlife and habitats

Sample size = 2,130

6. National Parks

6.1 The first National Park in Scotland was officially opened in July 2002, covering Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. A second National Park in Cairngorm is due to open in early 2003.

6.2 The Survey of Public Attitudes to the Environment took place in the months leading up to the opening of the first new park, and respondents were asked whether they were aware of the proposals. Just over a quarter (28%) were aware of the creation of two new National Parks. Of these, 60% said Loch Lomond and the Trossachs was a proposed site, and 38% said Cairngorm. The remainder either did not express a view on the location of either park, or gave other responses for one or both parks.

6.3 Respondents were presented with a list summarising the main aims of National Parks set out in the Act ⁸ that established them, and were asked to select all those that they thought were aims of National Parks. Two thirds selected 'encouraging people to visit the area' and 'protecting and improving the natural heritage'. Three options were each selected by a little under half the sample (44%-46%); 'protecting and improving the cultural heritage of the area', 'encouraging sensible use of the natural resources of the area' and 'educating people about the area'. One in three people (29%) selected the final option 'helping the area's communities'. Very few people gave other answers not drawn from the list presented, although 8% of people said they did not know what any of the aims were.

6.4 Asked what difference they thought National Parks would make to Scotland, the most popular responses were that they would 'help tourism' (64%) and that they would 'protect plants and wildlife' (55%). Just under half the respondents said National Parks would help 'conserve areas and ways of life' (48%), 'inform and educate people' (45%), and 'bring jobs and prosperity to the area' (44%). Nine per cent of respondents thought they would make very little difference.

Chart 5: Perceived effects of National Parks

Sample size = 2,130

6.5 Six in ten of those surveyed thought Scotland should have more National Parks, while 18% thought there should not be any more National Parks.

7. Litter and dog fouling

7.1 For many people, environmental concerns are felt quite close to home and include problems such as litter and dog fouling. The survey found that 89% of respondents thought litter was quite a big or a very big problem in Scotland, while 2% said it was not a problem at all. The problem of litter was perceived as having got worse over the last 5 years by almost seven in ten of those surveyed (69%), though 5% said it was now less of a problem than it was 5 years ago.

7.2 Dog fouling was seen as quite a big or a very big problem by 79% of respondents, while 4% said it was not a problem at all. Half the respondents considered dog fouling to be more of a problem now than it was 5 years ago, although 14% considered it to be less of a problem than 5 years ago.

Chart 6: Views on litter and dog fouling

Sample size = 2,130

7.3 The survey considered ways in which problems of litter and dog fouling might be addressed. Seven in ten respondents thought that 'enforcing fines for people that drop litter' would reduce the problem and the same proportion thought that 'educating children in school about litter' would help. Over half (58%) were in favour of 'making fast food outlets responsible for their own litter' and 50% thought that 'providing more litter bins' would reduce the problem.

7.4 Fines were also seen as the best way of reducing the problem of dog fouling, considered likely to be effective by 73% of those surveyed. Half the respondents thought dog fouling would be reduced by 'more bins for dog fouling' (53%), 'educating dog owners on the problems of dog fouling' (51%) and 'providing special areas for dog walking' (47%).

8. Waste and recycling

8.1 Nearly half of respondents said their households recycled glass, with 22% reporting that they recycled all waste glass products and a further 26% reporting that they recycled most or some glass. Four in ten respondents said they recycled paper, with 21% saying that they recycled all waste paper and a further 18% saying they recycled most or some paper. One in four respondents said they recycled cans and one in eight recycled plastic, with 10% saying they recycled all their cans and 5% saying they recycled all their plastic ⁹.

8.2 Paper appears to be the easiest material to recycle, with one in five respondents saying that this was collected from their home for recycling, compared with one in twenty respondents who said that each of the other materials was collected from their doorsteps. Respondents reported a high level of willingness to recycle materials if it became easier to do. With a doorstep collection service, the proportion who said they would recycle their paper was 88%, glass 85%, cans 79% and plastic 77%. Six per cent of those surveyed said they would not recycle anything if it were collected from them.

Chart 7: Percentage of households recycling glass, paper, cans and plastic

Sample size = 2,130

9. Sustainable development

9.1 The term 'sustainable development' has been increasingly used since the 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development's report 'Our Common Future'. The most widely used definition, from the above report, is development that 'meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs' ¹⁰. This recognises the inter-relationships between economic systems, social systems and the environment.

Chart 8: Views on whether people should change their way of life to benefit future generations

Sample size = 1,989

9.2 Twenty seven per cent of those surveyed reported having heard of the term 'sustainable development'.

9.3 Whether or not they had heard of sustainable development, respondents were asked whether they thought most people in Scotland today need to change their way of life so that future generations can continue to enjoy a good quality of life and environment. Over three quarters of people (77%) agreed that there was a need to change the way of life of most people in Scotland for these reasons. Five per cent disagreed. Asked whether they personally need to change their way of life so that future generations could continue to enjoy a good quality of life and environment, the proportion agreeing fell to just under a half (46%) and the proportion disagreeing rose to 31%.

9.4 Those who felt that they themselves should change their way of life were asked what changes they thought they should make. No options were presented, people were just asked what they thought and could give as many responses as they wished. The most popular responses were to start or increase recycling (33%), use the car less (20%), buy more environmentally friendly or efficient products (19%), be more environmentally aware (18%), and to use less energy (16%).

10. Climate change and flooding

10.1 The survey asked whether respondents believed the world's climate is changing or not, and for those who did believe in climate change, how they thought it would affect Scotland ¹¹. Six in ten respondents thought the global climate is definitely changing (62%) and a further quarter (26%) thought it is probably changing. Three per cent thought it is probably not changing, 2% that it is definitely not changing and the remaining 6% did not know.

10.2 Those who took the view that the global climate is changing were presented with a number of possibilities of what might happen in Scotland and asked to select all those they felt applied. Over half the respondents (55%) thought the weather would be wetter in future, 42% thought the weather would be less predictable in future, 39% thought there would be more flooding in future and 35% thought it would be hotter in future. One in five thought it would be windier in future (22%) and a similar number thought it would be colder in future (19%). The least commonly reported response was that the weather would be drier in future (6%).

10.3 Asked to identify the major contributors to climate change from a list of options, the most popular selection was the 'hole in the ozone layer' (62%). A similar proportion (61%) identified 'carbon dioxide emissions' as a major contributor, while 52% selected 'emissions from ground transport such as cars', 47% selected 'destruction of forests' and 43% selected 'emissions from power stations'. Less popular options were the use of gas or electricity by industry and in homes (23% and 18% respectively), and the use of mobile phones (15%) ¹².

Chart 9: Perceived contributors to climate change

Sample size = 1,989

10.4 Nearly half of those surveyed (47%) felt that there was quite a high risk or a very high risk of flooding in a few areas of Scotland. A further 22% felt that there was quite a high risk or a very high risk of flooding in many areas of Scotland. A quarter (24%) felt that the risk of flooding was low. One in twenty (5%) felt that there was quite a high risk or a very high risk of flooding to their own homes. Seven in ten felt that there was no risk at all of flooding to their own homes, while one in four felt there was not much of a risk ¹³.

11. Energy generation

11.1 There are different ways of generating electricity. Respondents were asked what impact they thought various sources of electricity generation had on the environment. For each source of power, respondents were asked to select as many of the attributes as they felt applied. The responses for some of the attributes are shown in Chart 10.

11.2 Nearly three quarters of those surveyed (73%) thought nuclear power produces dangerous waste and almost three in ten (29%) thought nuclear power produces greenhouse gases ¹⁴. Seven in ten of those surveyed said that coal and oil power generation 'uses up natural resources that will run out' and 37% said it produces greenhouse gases. Results for the gas sector were similar to those for coal and oil, though fewer respondents said that generating electricity by gas power stations uses up natural resources (just over half, 51%). Results for hydro power, wind power and other renewable sources of power (e.g. solar, wave) were similar to each other, with wind power being seen as 'cleaner' than the other two. Nearly six in ten respondents (59%) said that wind power does not pollute the air or water, compared with 37% and 46% for hydro and other renewable power sources respectively.

Chart 10: Perceived effects of energy sources on environment

Sample size = 1,989

11.3 The survey then went on to ask people about their preferences for electricity generation. Respondents were told that Scotland currently generates 45% of electricity from nuclear power stations, 30% by coal and oil fired power stations, 15% by gas, and 10% from renewables (e.g. hydro, wave, wind power). They were then asked how much electricity they thought SHOULD be generated in each of these ways in future. Taking the mean value for each source, respondents indicated that they would prefer almost half (49%) of electricity to be generated from renewables, 16% from nuclear, 16% from coal and oil and 18% from gas.

Chart 11: Current and preferred sources of electricity

Sample size = 1,989

12. Radioactive waste

12.1 The issue of nuclear waste was one of the main concerns of those surveyed, with 80% of respondents very or quite worried about this topic (see Table 2).

12.2 Respondents were asked what they thought produces radioactivity ¹⁵. A list of eight options was presented and respondents selected all those they thought relevant. The most commonly selected items were x-rays and scanners in hospitals (78%), generating electricity in a nuclear power station (74%) and mobile phones (63%). Between two and three in ten people selected televisions and photocopiers, and one in ten thought video cameras produce radioactivity. Three in ten respondents were aware of the natural occurrence of radiation.

Chart 12: Preferred storage of radioactive waste

Sample size = 1,989

12.3 The issue of what should be done about radioactive waste in Scotland is currently under debate. The survey did not provide any background on this debate, but asked respondents what they thought should happen to radioactive waste. Almost six in ten (59%) took the view it should all be kept underground. One in ten thought all radioactive waste should be kept above ground and the same proportion thought some should be kept underground and some above ground. Nineteen per cent of respondents did not know.

12.4 Of those who wanted all or some of the waste to be kept underground, there was an almost equal split between the two options presented; that it should be 'closed in and buried with no possibility of returning to it later' (46%) or that it should be 'stored in a way that it could be returned to in future for testing or removal' (50%).

Footnotes

1. Scottish Office (1991). Public Attitudes to the Environment in Scotland. Central Research Unit.
2. The survey was undertaken by Social Research at the Scottish Executive and George Street Research Ltd, who carried out the fieldwork for the study. Face to face interviews took place in respondent's homes. The sample was pre-selected and 65% of individuals selected for interview agreed to take part.
3. Under the terms of the Urban Waste Water Treatment (Scotland) Regulations 1994, the dumping of sewage sludge at sea ceased in 1998, and standards have been set for the treatment of sewage before it is discharged. Sewage treatment is now provided for all major cities and towns in Scotland, and to protect sensitive waters.
4. In each year the issues were ranked from the issue of concern to the highest number of people (1st position), to the issue of concern to the fewest people. An increase or decrease in concern is noted in the text for issues where the prioritisation increased or decreased by two or more positions.
5. 73% of Scottish rivers were classified as 'excellent' in SEPA's Annual Report (2000/2001). Commentary on http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/envonline discusses these findings and states that 'Rivers classified as polluted tend to be located in central regions of Scotland.'
6. 84% of coastal bathing waters achieved the mandatory standard in 2001 ( http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/envonline ).
7. The key reflects responses for local rivers and lochs and the sea. For 'most rivers and lochs' the answer categories were broadly comparable; 'very good quality' instead of 'unpolluted'; 'quite good quality' instead of 'fairly good quality'; and 'very poor quality' instead of 'grossly polluted'.
8. National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000
9. It is possible that those surveyed included reuse of materials as recycling, since no definition of recycling was given.
10. World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Our Common Future. Oxford; p7.
11. There is evidence that the global climate is changing and records show that the global temperature is rising. There is an ongoing debate about the cause of this change and what the implications will be in different parts of the world, but there is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities, largely through the burning of fossil fuels. Recent research forecasts that by the end of the century, Scotland will be warmer, have wetter winters, have less snowfall and experience increased flooding. Rising sea levels will threaten low-lying coastal areas and winters with no snow may become normal in some parts (Climate Change Scenarios for the United Kingdom, UK Climate Impacts Programme, April 2002 ( www.ukcip.org.uk/scenarios /). For further information on global climate change refer to http://www.ipcc.ch .
12. From this list, 'Carbon dioxide emissions', 'emissions from ground transport such as cars', and 'destruction of forests' are all recognised as contributing to climate change. 'Emissions from power stations', 'the use of gas/ electricity by industry' and 'the use of gas/ electricity in homes' also contribute to climate change - where the energy in question is derived from fossil fuel (coal, gas and oil) fired power stations. The 'hole in the ozone layer' does not contribute directly to climate change but influences the level of global warming to a minor extent. The use of mobile phones does not directly contribute to climate change. www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange contains further information on climate change.
13. Scottish Executive research has found that 7% of properties in Scotland are at risk from flooding (this includes coastal properties at slight or minimum risk of flooding) Climate Change: Flooding Occurrences Review (2002)
14. Nuclear power generation does produce radioactive waste, but does not produce carbon dioxide - the main greenhouse gas associated with power generation. Coal, oil and gas fired power stations all produce the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
15. Radioactivity is produced naturally and by generating electricity in nuclear power stations. It is also produced by generating electricity in coal-fired power stations which releases natural radioactivity from coal. The other items on the list all produce radiation (in the form of x-rays, light or noise), but do not produce radioactivity.