 The positive impact of forests on the climate is only partly known by the Norwegian public. The attitude to Norwegian forestry is generally positive, but nevertheless there is a decline in comparison with previous polls. The conclusion of a poll made by Synovate for the Norwegian Forest Owners' Federation and Norskog is that there is a considerable lack of knowledge about Norwegian forestry.
More than half the persons interviewed in the poll are of the opinion that the most important reason for maintaining forestry at its present level is that growing forests bind carbon dioxide and limit the greenhouse effect. That is a considerable increase in only two years. As much as 75 % know that forests bind carbon dioxide.
Mr Nils Boehn in the Federation points out that only a few know that forests in Norway bind more than 50 % of all greenhouse gases emitted in the country. Nevertheless 75 % of the interviewed persons are of the opinion that wood based bio-energy constitutes an environment friendly alternative to oil and coal.
The poll shows that there are clear differences between the sexes. In comparison with the corresponding poll in 1999 the share of "do not know" has increased. That share is highest among women and they are less positive and give more erroneous replies than the men.
An increasing share, more than half of the interviewed persons, know that forest re-growth is bigger than felling. We also have reasons to be pleased because an increasing share knows that the raw material for wood and paper is a renewable natural resource. But still 20 % believe that also plastic is produced from renewable resources. Mr Erling Bergsaker in Norskog believes that people confuse the concepts "renewable" and "recyclable".
The general public has no clear idea which energy sources constitute bio-energy. For example, about half of all women believe that terrestrial and solar heat and wind power are bio-energy.
People engaged in forestry believe that environment consciousness in forestry has considerably increased since the 1990s. Nevertheless, the conclusions from the poll do not support that belief. Almost nobody knows that almost the whole Norwegian forestry business has environment certification. Only a few know that at present there are more old, big and thick trees and deciduous trees than 50 years ago. Boehn and Bergsaker emphasize that we must better spread knowledge about present forestry methods in Norway.
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