The resent research indicated how the people are assessing the Estonian environment, which problems do they see, and what are their priorities in the field of energy. The highest assessment was provided to the possibilities to study nature both on nature tracks and independently. Availability of clean drinking water, waste management and care of natural values were also considered rather good. According to the Minister of the Environment Keit Pentus, nature conservation may often bring about opposed opinions, therefore feedback was asked from the participants in the survey on what they considered essential in nature conservation. 98 % of the respondents find that nature conservation is beneficial, while 77 % completely or rather agree that in case of two options – preservation of natural environment or development of economically profitable activities – the natural environment should not be sacrificed. "This proves that although Estonians have been considered very pragmatic, certain values and their preservation are still more important to us. It is also worth noting that for most people, nature conservation is not something forced upon them from outside. 81 % agrees that the status of the environment is directly related to the quality of life of the people," the Minister of the Environment Keit Pentus said. Estonian people are most critical in the fields of major industrial pollution, cleanliness of the sea and planning of new mines. In this issue, there is a clear difference between various regions of Estonia. The inhabitants of Tallinn are most critical towards cleanliness of air and sea water, while the people of Ida-Viru County worry about clean drinking water and quality of air. The survey showed that Estonian people generally consider themselves environmentally aware. Compared to the 2010 survey, the assessment on the environmental awareness of the society has risen. Relaxation and sporting possibilities in nature offered by hiking and study tracks are still popular. More than half of the respondents (61 %) have visited different nature tracks in the last 12 months. Availability of environmental information about Estonia has constantly improved – 64 % of the population found that it is completely or rather available. Only 3 % stated the opposite. The survey was conducted among the people in the age of 15-74 years. The number of respondents was 1005 and the results can be extended to relevant population of Estonia. The survey was ordered by the Ministry of the Environment and conducted by Turu-uuringute AS. |
