Public Environmental Skepticism: A Cross-National and Multi-Level Analysis

• In Event: 479 - Section on Global and Transnational Sociology Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 13. Global Attitudes

Abstract

Environmental skepticism, defined as doubt about the authenticity or severity of environmental degradation, is popular among the general public despite emerging scientific consensus. This study attempts to identify its social roots, using a large and recent (2010) dataset that covers 45,119 individuals from 32 countries. Using multilevel modeling, it explores both individual-level and country-level influences on public environmental skepticism. Four individual-level theories and their interplay are particularly important in explaining the formation of environmental skepticism. Consistent with knowledge deficit, cultural cognition, generalized trust, and competing priority theories, environmental skepticism stems from insufficient education and environmental knowledge, religious and conservative values, distrust in general social institutions, and other concerns competing with environmental concern. Moreover, the skepticism-reducing effect of education and knowledge is found to be contingent on individuals’ worldviews and ideologies. Due to cultural cognitive bias in information processing, education and knowledge are more effective in reducing skepticism among less religious liberals than among religious conservatives.

Author

• Min Zhou, University of Victoria