Book contents
- Impacts of Human Population on Wildlife
- Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation
- Impacts of Human Population on Wildlife
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- 1 Population Matters
- 2 The State of British Wildlife
- 3 Human Activities Directly Killing Wildlife
- 4 Impacts of Development on Wildlife Declines
- 5 Impacts of Farming and Forestry on Wildlife Declines
- 6 Climate Change, Disease and Disturbance
- 7 The Human Population and Wildlife in Britain and Western Europe
- 8 Public Perceptions of Wildlife and Population Issues
- 9 International Aspects of Population Growth
- 10 Conservation in a Crowded Country
- References
- Index
8 - Public Perceptions of Wildlife and Population Issues
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 June 2022
- Impacts of Human Population on Wildlife
- Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation
- Impacts of Human Population on Wildlife
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- 1 Population Matters
- 2 The State of British Wildlife
- 3 Human Activities Directly Killing Wildlife
- 4 Impacts of Development on Wildlife Declines
- 5 Impacts of Farming and Forestry on Wildlife Declines
- 6 Climate Change, Disease and Disturbance
- 7 The Human Population and Wildlife in Britain and Western Europe
- 8 Public Perceptions of Wildlife and Population Issues
- 9 International Aspects of Population Growth
- 10 Conservation in a Crowded Country
- References
- Index
Summary
Opinion polls indicate that many people in the UK are concerned about wildlife declines and about overpopulation. These feelings are widely shared by naturalists, scientists, artists and many religious groups, as well as by the general public. Unfortunately, such views are uncommon among economists and rarely feature at all in politics. Discussion of population pressure has remained largely taboo, even in wildlife circles, presumably because of fear of causing offence. However, there are adverse consequences for society from a high human population that go far beyond problems for wildlife and countryside. Traffic jams are health hazards, both physically and mentally,and infrastructure expansions generate stress for those affected by them, while public services including healthcare and education are increasingly overwhelmed by people needing to use them.
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- Information
- Impacts of Human Population on WildlifeA British Perspective, pp. 181 - 209Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022