CSIRO Environment, Australian Tropical Science and Innovation Precinct, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Smithfield, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 16;19(8):e0308252. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308252. eCollection 2024.
At a time when ambitious environmental management initiatives are required to protect and restore aquatic ecosystems, public trust in the science that underpins environmental policy and decision-making is waning. This decline in public trust coincides with a rise in misinformation, and threatens to undermine public support for, and participation in, environmental protection. Our study investigates the prevalence and predictors of mistrust in science associated with the protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and its catchments. Using survey data from 1,877 residents of the GBR region, we identify environmental values, perceptions, and attitudes that are associated with science mistrust. Our results include a typology of GBR science trust and scepticism. Science-sceptical respondents, representing 31% of our sample, were likely to perceive waterway management decisions as being unfair, felt less responsible, and were less motivated to contribute to improving waterway health than those with greater trust in science. Science-sceptical respondents also had differing perceptions of some threats to waterways, in particular climate change. However, similarities and 'common ground' between respondents with varying levels of trust in science included a shared recognition of the importance of waterways' ecosystem services, and a shared perception of the relative health and problems within their regions' waterways. Our findings can help to break down assumptions about science-sceptical groups in the GBR region and elsewhere. We offer recommendations to guide more constructive engagement that seeks to restore trust and build consensus on mutual goals and pathways to protect vital ecosystem functions and services.
在需要采取雄心勃勃的环境管理举措来保护和恢复水生生态系统的时代，公众对支撑环境政策和决策的科学的信任正在减弱。这种公众信任的下降恰逢错误信息的增加，有可能破坏公众对环境保护的支持和参与。我们的研究调查了与大堡礁（GBR）及其集水区的保护和管理相关的对科学的不信任的普遍程度和预测因素。我们使用来自大堡礁地区的 1877 名居民的调查数据，确定了与对科学的不信任相关的环境价值观、看法和态度。我们的研究结果包括对大堡礁科学信任和怀疑的分类。占我们样本 31%的科学怀疑论者可能认为水道管理决策不公平，感到责任较小，并且不如对科学更信任的人更有动力为改善水道健康做出贡献。对科学持怀疑态度的受访者对一些水道威胁的看法也不同，特别是气候变化。然而，对科学的信任程度不同的受访者之间存在相似之处和“共同点”，包括对水道生态系统服务重要性的共同认识，以及对其所在地区水道相对健康和问题的共同看法。我们的研究结果可以帮助打破对大堡礁地区和其他地区的科学怀疑论群体的假设。我们提供了一些建议，以指导更具建设性的参与，旨在恢复信任，并就保护重要生态系统功能和服务的共同目标和途径建立共识。
