Czechs supportive of environment protection projects
An opinion survey commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund shows that Czechs are deeply aware of the need to protect the country's environment. A full eighty percent of Czechs want more of the country's as yet unpolluted regions to be turned into protected national parks and reservations, sixty percent of the population would ban any lumbering activities in such areas as well as the construction of new roads or ski-lifts. "The figures are higher than expected, higher than those of many EU states, and we hope that this will be a message to Czech politicians" Marc Niggemeyer of the WWF told newsmen in Vienna. An expert on forest protection, Mr. Niggemeyer said the Sumava mountain range in south-west Bohemia presented a sad lesson in what environmental negligence can lead to. This may be one reason why Czechs are so supportive of an environmentally friendly policy. We called Vojtech Kotecky of the environment group Friends of the Earth to find out how they felt about the results of the survey:
Well, will this poll improve your lobbying position in Parliament? Will it help you in any way?
"I definitely believe that an opinion poll which says that 99 percent of Czechs support environmental protection of our forests and that 80 percent of the population want more national parks in our country must have an impact on politicians. It will show our political parties that they should care about the environment and environmental protection more than they do."
But at the end of the day construction lobbies in Parliament are stronger than you are. You are fighting a number of cases where there is construction in areas where there shouldn't be any ....highways and things like that...
"Yes. Czech politicians are generally more supportive of construction, timber and mining lobbies. But I think that this and similar opinion polls will show them that this attitude is quite risky for their political career and it helps us to persuade them to give priority to what people want rather than the profits of individual lobbies."
Is it difficult to draw the public into various environmental protection projects?
"Well, compared to other countries -west European countries, for example- it is somewhat harder to get people involved in public debates and public activities. But that isn't so surprising. Generally the level of citizens' involvement in public affairs is still rather low as compared to northern and western Europe. But you would be surprised how deeply people get involved in public debates when they directly touch upon their own interests - for example communities endangered by various damaging projects. "
