87% Ontarians believe amount of tree loss in Ontario every year is a serious problem

87% believe that the amount of trees Ontario loses every year constitutes a ‘serious problem

Thinking about the amount of trees Ontario has lost over the past decade due to various reasons including urbanization, infestation, fire and climate change, nine in ten (87%) believe that the amount of trees Ontario loses every year constitutes a ‘serious problem’ (40% very/47% somewhat). Just 13% think it’s not a problem (11% not very serious/2% not at all serious).

Moreover, most (82%) Ontarians believe the collective impact these events have had on Ontario’s ecosystem and biosphere has created a ‘crisis’ (25% severe/57% somewhat), according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Trees Ontario. Only two in ten (18%) believe that there is ‘really not a crisis at all’.

When the ecosystem/biosphere in Ontario loses trees – over 10,000 hectares of forested land has been lost in the past 10 years due to urbanization alone – efforts are made to renew the loss. But whereas a decade ago Ontario renewal was taking place by planting 20 million trees a year on rural, private lands in the province, in 2007 only 2 million trees were planted mainly due to lack of funding – particularly from non -government agencies. Despite the many competing environmental issues confronting the province, nine in ten (87%) Ontarians believe that a high priority (36% very high/51% somewhat high) should be placed on increasing our collective efforts to plant more trees on rural and private lands in Ontario. Just 13% believe the priority should be somewhat low (11%) or not a priority at all (2%).

Currently retail and service outlets across the province are charging consumers 5 cents for every plastic bag they take from the store. The money collected by the outlet can go to wherever the outlet decides: for example, Loblaws plans to give $1 million a year over three years to the World Wildlife Fund – Canada. Metro Foods is donating $2 million toward an environmental stewardship program in schools in Ontario and Quebec for the 2009/10 school year, and Sobeys Ontario is funding grants of up to $20,000 to support Earth Day Canada projects. Alternatively, these outlets can just keep the money.

Given all of the places that an organization could donate its five-cent bag fee if it wanted to, almost all (91%) Ontarians would be supportive (49% very/42% somewhat) if an outlet decided to designate Trees Ontario—a not-for-profit organization that plants trees in Ontario on rural and private lands—as the recipient of its collected amount. Only one in ten (10%) would not be supportive (7% not really/3% not at all) of Trees Ontario receiving these funds.

And if Ontarians heard that a particular organization was contributing to Trees Ontario, most (70%) say that they would be more likely to think better of that organization and its reputation, while just 4% said they’d be less likely to think better of that company. One quarter (25%) of Ontarians say their opinions would be unaffected.

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