Bias - that which causes something to be inclined towards one side. Webster: "preference or inclination that inhibits impartial judgement; predjudice". Everyone is biased (except me). 

Perception - the action of receiving information through the senses. 

How does bias play into the following process ? 

Info -> Perception -> evaluation/understanding -> recommunicate/vote 

1. Proximity builds bias (spatially, temporally,psychologically/spiritually)

- more interest on local as opposed to global (Not In My Back Yard)

- more interest in recent or near future than long-term

• proximity of issues to highly valued ideals/theory/belief
• Short-sight (e.g., smokestack - local versus larger area, shorter versus long-term)

2. Related Concepts (Controls on Bias)

- Stakeholder (financial, health)

- Level of Understanding of Issue (affects amount of bias). Education, income, occupation, gender.

- Moral Values - even in the absence of understanding, individuals can develop bias solely because the "information" affronts her/his values, morals or ethics (may be most "dangerous").

- Hypocrisy. We are a technological society. How many of us object to the solid waste build-up in waste dumps? How many bring their own bags to Price Chopper or Hannaford to reduce plastic waste generation?

3. Ignorance builds bias

• Strong emotional attachment when combined with IGNORANCE will certainly create FEAR (of the unknown) and SUSPICION. Does PCB cause cancer or does it really cause hysteria?
• Nuclear power is, to me, is a most amazing example of an environmental issue. I spent 7 years looking for solutions to the environmental legacy of nuclear weaponry and commercial use. On the one hand, the scale of contamination now in existence can be overwhelming. On the other hand, the number of deaths related to nuclear power use excluding Chernobyl is underwhelming.

There should be no doubt that the MEDIA is largely a ratings-oriented "information system" (i.e., it is heavily biased towards sensational issues). IS THAT A BIASED CATEGORIZATION? The object of media coverage of environmental issues is to generate some form of "mass hysteria" (if not to point to "uncertainties" as though the people's tax dollars are not being spent well).

The media is a great "biasing tool" that gets you both ways:

1. Filter sensational vs. non-sensational news

2. Sensationalize non-sensational news

- who/what is responsible ?

- how should the problem be handled ?

- what are the possible effects ?

- Individual

- Institutional : Government "bias" is as weird as it gets. Every once in a while, it seems to be an entity that doesn't belong to us. Politicians and political parties are largely interested in processes/results that can be presented in four year or shorter political cycles. In government, there is a lot of pressure to achieve economic growth (a.k.a. "promoting healthy business"), increase jobs, and lower taxes. These Politics 101 considerations often precede personal preferences of elected officials.  

Democracy, remember, will bring politicians down if their actions are not in accord with the popular will. Environmental education is the only answer to adjusting the popular will. Shortcut - educate politicians so they can lead the environmental awareness campaign. 

Money is votes. Business is a major source of political monies. Business has responsibility to shareholders to produce profit (not value of goods for money, not environmentally-friendly products; business bias). The recent trend of environmentally friendly products (some false claims) is at least partly profit-driven. On larger environmental issues, business/industry have gone along but only to the extent that compliance cost does not eat into the profit.  

-Organizational Environmental groups exist because of common beliefs, especially in cases where these beliefs "clash" with other widely held belief. Animal rights, sanctity of life, conservation are all sets of beliefs that fuel activity (and funding) of environmental groups. Without saying right or wrong, the fact that the set of beliefs belongs to one end of the spectrum results in a strong organizational bias. 

-Government/business vs. environmentalists -- economics vs. emotional appeal. Early environmental "movements" rammed their way through to the public, raising issues about various projects. Businesses approached this challenge initially through the established parameters of government (e.g., lobbying the politicians) and dismissing environmental groups as having no factual basis for their claims. This approach was a mistake because it reinforced public opinion that businesses are arrogant and simply do not care. 

Business now have tried to appeal to the public, and are taking environmentalists more seriously (not a change in strategy because they have not abandoned their traditional tools). Environmental groups are getting more and more armed with facts. Some businesses even see environmental issues as "economic opportunity". Politicians see them as votes. Vote is the CURRENCY of power.

• Socio-cultural Bias
• Economic Class Bias

Global warming?

Ozone?

Hudson River PCB

Solid Waste Disposal

Alternate energy sources (solar, nuclear)

Power Plant at Olana ?