A new study reveals that public outcry and media coverage can drive significant environmental action, even when governments are resistant. The research focused on the 2019 surge in attention over forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon, which led to a 22% decrease in fires and the avoidance of 24.8 million tons of CO2 emissions. This powerful example showcases the impact that sustained public engagement can have on achieving long-term environmental goals. Amazon rainforest, climate change
The Power of Public Pressure
The Brazilian Amazon forest fires of August 2019 brought public exposure and press focus on an unimaginable reaction by the incumbent government. Published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, this vigilance led to a 22% decrease in fires throughout the drought year with total avoidance of about 24.8 million tons CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions.
Unusually, the Brazilian government had taken action; incoming president Jair Bolsonaro has campaigned on promises to weaken environmental protection. The Detroit study shows how public attention and media scrutiny can matter even during a decade of frustration and domination by Center administration.
The real game changer
They used a difference-in-differences design to measure the effect of the 2019 media blitz on fire activity in Brazil, contrasting it with nearby countries like Peru and Bolivia that faced relatively little public attention. However, this increased scrutiny prompted the Brazilian government to send in brigades who ended up putting a major dent in the fires.
Moreover, the fires were mentioned in more Brazilian congressional speeches and local action was taken by the government due to public/media pressure. The fast drop in fires had not just blunted an environmental disaster but also secured its very important set of commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Sustained Engagement is Key
Although the results of the study demonstrate that public opinion was powerful in influencing green policy, little long-term impact came from the media surge. Fire activity and attention both returned to typical levels the following year, demonstrating that permanent changes require a sustained public interest in an environmental issue.
There seems to be consensus among the authors of the study that this type of international shock and international pressure can precipitate actual, material changes in environmental policy and thereby environmental outcomes,” said Teevrat Garg, one of the study’s co-authors. While not perfect, the researchers argue that their work does a great job of demonstrating how public attention to an issue can lead to serious environmental change and need for continued use as part of this type of event in the future.
