With all the information already out there, you may wonder why we need more environmental news. Well, there is a very good reason.

The National Report Card on Environmental Attitudes, Knowledge and Behavior, produced annually by the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF) and Roper Starch Worldwide, consistently reflects the population’s low “EQ,” or environmental knowledge quotient. In 1999, the 1,501 adults in the United States surveyed by phone by the NEETF averaged three out of 10 correct answers on a multiple-choice quiz about emerging environmental issues. Guessing at answers would have done about as well.

Each year, the NEETF results show the persistence of environmental misinformation. The public appears to rely on out-of-date information and environmental myths dramatized by the media. For example, in the 1998 survey, 56% of respondents seemed to believe that six-pack rings entangle the most wildlife; only 10% knew that fishing line left behind by 70 million anglers is the real issue. And 32% thought that aerosol cans constitute the only source of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), despite the 1978 ban on CFC cans.

These results indicate that the media are part of the problem. People do not always base their beliefs on scientific data. Rather, they turn to interpretations by television, magazines, and newspapers to construct ideas. But a gap between truth and the media is not inevitable. Journalists can be part of the solution.

Our goal is for the CEC to become your trusted source for local environmental news. To earn trust, our reporting must be truthful, fair, and in depth.

Telling the truth certainly includes finding the real story and getting the facts straight, but also avoiding melodrama and distortion of emphasis to gain attention. Depth means digging below the surface - reflecting how things are, rather than how they appear to be.

Fairness is more complicated. Journalists can give a voice to the voiceless. With this, we must support an open exchange of views, even views some may not like. Facilitating open communication among all environmental players is key to our work.

As a part of fairness, reporters must distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Although the CEC is dedicated to keeping members informed of each other’s activities, this will not be my main role. Instead, I will be covering issues that are vital to the environmental community as a whole. We are hoping that over the next year or two the CEC will become your primary source for up-to-date, relevant information about Houston’s environment. Please feel free to call me at the CEC office (713-524-4232) or email me at lily.auliff@cechouston.org.

To circle back, the results on the National Report Card are not all bad. The good news is that people care. While most believe that environmental protection and economic development can go hand-in-hand, 70% claim they would choose the environment over the economy if a choice had to be made. That percentage is even higher for younger people, implying that support for environmental issues will grow as our population ages.

As members of Houston’s environmental community, our job is to help citizens move their actions to where their hearts already are. In-depth and fair environmental reporting can provide the knowledge the public needs to make informed decisions.

To obtain a copy of 1999 National Report Card visit www.neetf.org/reportcard/index.htm.