Why Your Business Should Keep Ahead of Public Concern About Water

This article was originally published on GreenBiz.com, as part of our Proof Points blog series. 28 March 2014 – Despite a severe drought, Americans don’t seem to notice that water is at low ebb. New GlobeScan Radar survey results show that American concern about fresh water shortages counterintuitively has hit new lows, especially compared to a year ago. The proportion of Americans now saying water shortages constitute a “very serious” issue has declined from more than half (54 percent) in 2013 to just over … “Why Your Business Should Keep Ahead of Public Concern About Water”

You Never Miss the Water Until the Well Runs Dry

As a Californian GlobeScanner, I have first-hand experience of our state’s concern about access to fresh water. My water district in Marin County is likely just days away from implementing mandatory water rationing, as it and other water districts throughout the state struggle to deal with a protracted and severe drought. California just experienced not only the driest year on record, but also the warmest winter on record, which has seriously affected the extent of the snowpack in the Sierra … “You Never Miss the Water Until the Well Runs Dry”

First Dynamic, Open-source Data and Journalism Project to Explore Linkage between Water, Food and Energy

26 March 2013 – Circle of Blue, a team of award-winning journalists and researchers reporting on water and other worldwide resource issues, and the Institute for Globally Transformative Technologies (LIGTT) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a pioneer in bringing scientific solutions to critical global problems, have partnered to create Choke Point: Index, the first dynamic, open-source data and on-the-ground journalism project exploring the globally significant competition between water, food, and energy. The world’s demand for fresh water is growing so fast that, by 2030, … “First Dynamic, Open-source Data and Journalism Project to Explore Linkage between Water, Food and Energy”

RBC CWAS 2013 – Post-Webinar Information

Presentation materials: Download the presentation slides (.PDF, 2.4MB) Review a recording of the full webinar Download the full results of the 2013 Canadian Water Attitudes Study (.PDF, 3.8MB) Explore more from the 2013 Canadian Water Attitudes Study We would appreciate hearing your feedback on the Canadian Water Attitudes Study by answering this quick, 2-question poll. Presenter contact information: Lynn Patterson, Director, Corporate Responsibility, RBC: lynn.e.patterson@rbc.com Chris Coulter, President, GlobeScan: chris.coulter@globescan.com Bob Sandford, EPCOR Chair, Canadian Partnership Initiative, United Nations Water for Life … “RBC CWAS 2013 – Post-Webinar Information”

Drip, Drip: Canadians Much Quicker to Repair an Internet Outage than a Leaky Faucet

Just one drop per second wastes 25 litres a day of clean, fresh water Download Infographic (PDF) 20 March 2013 – While most Canadians (75 per cent) would fix an internet outage within a few hours or a day, and two-thirds (64 per cent) would repair a TV reception problem that quickly, only half (52 per cent) would fix a leaky faucet within the same timeframe. Further, one-third of Canadians (33 per cent) would take up to a week or more … “Drip, Drip: Canadians Much Quicker to Repair an Internet Outage than a Leaky Faucet”

Urban-Dwellers Ill-Prepared for Impact of Mother Nature on Water

2013 RBC Canadian Water Attitudes Study Urban sprawl and paved paradise threaten clean fresh water today and tomorrow, says leading expert Download Infographic (PDF) 13 March 2013 – While nine-in-10 (90 per cent) Canadians believe that an extreme weather-related disaster is possible in their community, town or city, few are aware of the consequences if excess water caused by rain and snow storms is not managed properly. In towns and cities across Canada, paved surfaces, overloaded storm water management infrastructure, and … “Urban-Dwellers Ill-Prepared for Impact of Mother Nature on Water”

Why We’re Turned Off and Tuned Out to Environmental Crises

This article by Sam Mountford was originally published on GreenBiz.com Feb 7 2013, as part of our Proof Points blog series.  7 February 2013 – Environmental concern among the global public is on the wane across a whole range of issues, GlobeScan’s most recent polling finds. But, with no sign that the problems facing the planet are any less severe – quite the reverse – how do we explain this increase in apathy? The trend is certainly stark. GlobeScan tracks public concern on six … “Why We’re Turned Off and Tuned Out to Environmental Crises”

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Majority of Canadians Believe Their Local Water Infrastructure is Good Enough for Now

National ‘pipe dream’ flies in face of reports outlining critical infrastructure gap Download Fact Sheet (PDF) Download Infographic (PDF) 22 March 2012 – Canadians believe that maintaining our drinking water supply is one of the most important areas for government funding (behind hospitals and tied with schools). Yet, more than 80 per cent feel there is no need for major and immediate investment in their community’s drinking water/wastewater facilities, which they believe to be in good condition, and in need of … “Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Majority of Canadians Believe Their Local Water Infrastructure is Good Enough for Now”

Water insecurity dominates Indians’ concerns about the environment

The potency of water as a political issue in the world’s major emerging economies was underlined again this week when it was reported that water levels had plunged in the Siang river in India’s north-east. Allegations were levelled that China—where water stress is also a major concern—had diverted much of the water on the Chinese side of the border, preventing it reaching farmers and residents who depend upon on it in the Indian state of Assam.

This controversy is not surprising, given the central importance that Indian citizens attach to water as an issue, according to Globescan’s global attitudes tracking. Our most recent data reveal that Indians consider fresh water shortages to be the most serious of a range of environmental problems, with nearly seven in ten (68%) rating them as “very serious”—up nearly ten percentage points since 2008. Furthermore, water pollution was cited this year as the second most serious environmental problem, with 59% rating it “very serious,” well ahead of problems like climate change (47%).

With the Indian economy registering its seventh consecutive quarter of slow growth, water insecurity, already an important concern, is likely to become increasingly central to the politics of this huge emerging economy.

 

Finding from the GlobeScan Radar, Wave 2, 2011 

For more information on this finding, please contact Sam Mountford (Read Bio)