A significant portion of Australians remains unaware of the extent of the biodiversity crisis, despite acknowledging the need for government action to protect the environment, reveals research conducted by the Biodiversity Council. The study, which surveyed approximately 4,050 individuals, found that only 43% of respondents were aware of Australia's high rate of mammal extinction, and just over half (54%) knew that a significant portion of the country's forests had been lost since colonization. In contrast, awareness of the climate crisis and its impact on nature was higher, with 74% of participants recognizing the direct influence of global heating on wildlife and ecosystems.
Graeme Samuel, the former head of Australia's competition watchdog and chair of a 2020 review of the country's environmental laws, emphasizes the need for a public awareness campaign to bridge the gap between understanding the climate crisis and comprehending the decline of biodiversity. The Biodiversity Council, a collaboration among 11 Australian universities, conducted the survey to gauge public attitudes toward nature.
Winnifred Louis, a psychology professor at the University of Queensland and one of the report's authors, points out that several psychological biases can contribute to the disconnect between the state of the environment and people's perception of it. Gradual changes in the environment can make it difficult for individuals to notice significant shifts. Moreover, the focus of reporting and discussions on nature often centers on charismatic species like koalas or bilbies, rather than highlighting local flora and fauna that people can relate to.
Samuel's 2020 review of national laws concluded that Australia's environment was experiencing unsustainable decline, and successive governments had failed to protect the country's unique species and habitats. He suggests that public understanding of the biodiversity crisis lags behind awareness of the climate crisis. Samuel calls for a major awareness campaign to bridge this gap to elevate public consciousness and sensitivity toward biodiversity, emphasizing the importance of shifting focus from individual species to the broader implications of flora and fauna for people.
The survey conducted by the Biodiversity Council indicates that a majority of respondents expressed concern for Australia's biodiversity. At least two-thirds of participants were very or extremely concerned about issues such as waste and pollution, land-clearing, species extinction, and the loss of pollinators and natural habitats. Additionally, 72% of respondents believed that more funding should be allocated to environmental initiatives. Brendan Wintle, a conservation ecology professor at the University of Melbourne and lead councillor at the Biodiversity Council, highlights the critical role natural systems play in Australia's economy, with approximately half relying on these systems. He warns that the loss of biodiversity will have severe consequences for clean air, food and water security, human health, Indigenous culture, and national identity. The required annual investment to recover Australia's nearly 2,000 threatened plants, animals, and ecological communities is estimated at around $2 billion. Wintle emphasizes that many Australians would be shocked if they understood the true state of the country's biodiversity. Raising awareness about the urgency of the biodiversity crisis is essential to safeguarding Australia's natural heritage and securing a sustainable future.
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