16 Business View Magazine - May 2016
Opening
Lines
tinct. However, nearly half (45 percent) of Ameri-
cans think human-driven habitat destruction has the
biggest impact on animal populations, and close to
a third (32 percent) believe animal poaching has the
biggest effect.
Conservation Efforts
Interest and concern about endangered animals are
likely why nearly 200 million Americans (81 percent)
have participated in wildlife conservation efforts, and
these actions are most commonly
recycling (75 percent), purchasing
environmentally conscious products
(50 percent) or donating money (40
percent). More than one in four (27
percent) of those who participated
in wildlife conservation efforts have
supported a wildlife conservation
cause online or on social media. And
for those who have not participated
in wildlife conservation efforts, lack
of knowledge is likely a factor. The
most common (27 percent) reason for not participat-
ing is not knowing how.
Animal Protection Efforts
Over eight in 10 (82 percent) Americans agree that
zoos should exist. This is likely because zoos are
seen as educational (91 percent) and fun (85 per-
cent). While close to three in five (58 percent) Amer-
icans believe holding or displaying animals at zoos
or theme parks should be legal, over four in five (83
percent) agree with SeaWorld’s decision to end cap-
tive breeding of killer whales.
Celebrity Activists
Those in the limelight have a bit of an influence on
eco-friendly actions. About 76 million Americans (31
percent) say that the environmental activities of ce-
lebrities or endorsements motivate them to change
their behavior regarding our planet. Ellen DeGeneres
and Betty White top the list of celebrity animal activ-
ists that Americans believe do the most to help their
cause, with 27 percent and 23 percent, respectively.
The Future of Planet Earth
Nearly a quarter (22 percent) of Americans think
“The Hunger Games” best captures what Earth
will look like in 100 years. Nearly one in five say this
about “Star Trek” (18 percent), “Wall-E” (17 percent)
and “Mad Max: Fury Road” (17 percent). However,
Millennials are more than twice as likely as older
Americans (30 percent vs. 12 percent, respectively)
to think “Wall-E” best resembles what our planet
will look like in 2116, while more Americans ages 35
and over than Millennials (20 percent vs. 12 percent,
respectively) say this about “Star Trek.”
