Emissions and Environmental Risk Perception: A Multilevel Study

• In Event: 331 - Section on Environment and Technology Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 06. Environmental Attitudes and Concern (Group B)

Abstract

The condition of the natural environment and related environmental issues are widely recognized as important challenges for present and future generations. In recent times, environmental concerns have risen to prominent positions on a global scale. At the same time, greenhouse gas emissions have been rapidly rising. Although these topics often appear in separate literatures, when combined they may yield insights that might not have been accounted for otherwise. To address this gap, this research uses a multi-level, cross-national study to examine individual-level and country-level influences on environmental risk perception. At the individual level, age, gender, urban residence and knowledge affect risk perception. At the national level, although some environmental conditions affect environmental risk perceptions, most measures of emissions do not show anticipated effects. Results from cross-level interactions shed further light on these complexities. The implications of this research for future cross-national scholarship are discussed.

Author

• Sandra T. Marquart-Pyatt, Michigan State University