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A new study from the University of California San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy reveals that public outcry can lead to significant environmental action, even when public administrations are openly hostile to environmental priorities.

The paper, to be published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, focused on the unprecedented public scrutiny of forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon in August 2019, which occurred soon after Jair Bolsonaro, who campaigned on an explicitly anti-environmental platform, assumed office as Brazil's 38th president.

The study found that increased public attention resulted in a 22% decrease in fires in the Brazilian Amazon, a reduction that translated into the avoidance of approximately 24.8 million tons of CO 2 emissions.

"Our research underscores the significant role that public attention and media coverage can play in influencing local environmental policies and actions," said study co-author Teevrat Garg, who is an associate professor of economics at the School of Global Policy and Strategy. "The 2019 surge in attention led to immediate governmental responses, which contributed to the notable decrease in fires."

The action from the Brazilian government was surprising, as Bolsonaro had campaigned on cynicism over climate science and championing big business interests over sustainable development.

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