It is an uphill battle when, for economic reasons, the regulators are often in league with energy development proponents.

The promise of potential of cheap local energy to fuel lifestyles blind the public. Economic concerns increasingly outweigh environmental concerns. Few take the time to read vast amounts of research, prefering to rely on "marketing messages" for information. Well crafted industry and government marketing approaches are often effective in crafting public attutudes. Protests have a decreasing public impact, except with the converted.

Trust that government regulators will protect the environment has led to much environmental degradation in the past, and will likely do so in the future. Environmental protection laws increasingly serve the interests of development. Reduced government environmental research,and the muzzling of government scientists has limited objective research, with vested interests increasingly steering and funding research and the "research message". Fewer investigative journalists has "limited the voice" on the other side of many environmental research issues.