Future looks scary for Cataloguers and Aussie Post?

The British Government has brought down the chopper on dm by introducing ‘opt in’ for unaddressed mail and allowing consumers to opt out of receiving all forms of direct mail. The reason: reducing the waste stream, reduced emissions. Other governments will follow, responding to the same public opinion that is driving Britain to dismantle the infrastructure of hard copy dm.

Both Bush and Howard misread their publics over climate change. Australians lead the world for concern about climate change*. Americans are starting to freak out.** Public opinion has swung away from the two men who refused to ratify Kyoto. They were humilated at APEC by China's refusal to join a soft touch, 'aspirational' regime against the hard core, mandatory UN Kyoto system. Now both nations can't seem to be rid of them quick enough.

*Survey conducted by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org, includes 17 countries—China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine, Poland, Iran, Mexico, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Israel, Armenia—and the Palestinian territories. These represent more than 5% of the world population.
The largest majority in favor of measures to combat global warming is found in Australia (92%). Eighty percent of respondents in the United States—the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases—also support taking such measures. In five countries, the most common view is: “Global warming is a serious and pressing problem. We should begin taking steps now even if this involves significant costs.” These include: Australia (69%), Argentina (63%), Israel (54%), the United States (43%), and Armenia (37%). Overwhelming majorities in all seven countries rate improving the global environment as at least an “important” goal and majorities in all call it a “very important” one: Australia, 99 percent (very 88%); South Korea, 96 percent (very 60%); the United States 93 percent (very 54%), Armenia 86 percent (very 54%), China, 85 percent (very 54%); Thailand, 83 percent (very 61%); and India, 79 percent (very 51%).

**A new Yale research survey reveals a significant shift in public attitudes toward the environment and global warming. Fully 83 percent of Americans now say global warming is a "serious" problem, up from 70 percent in 2004. 70 percent of Americans believe that President Bush doesn't do enough for the environment and should do more.