Environmental Attitudes Across Race and Ethnicity

Objectives This article examines the degree to which environmental concerns are influenced by race and ethnicity, and particularly whether significant differences exist among people of color and whites. Our objective is to clarify this uncertainty since previous studies have been limited by the timeframe and geographic scope of their data. Methods We analyze 15 years of nationally representative data from Gallup's General Poll Social Survey. Using a multitude of dependent variables that capture a range of environmental issues, we employ ordinal logistic regression models to understand environmental attitudes across race and ethnicity. Results We find that people of color are more concerned than whites about matters pertaining to environmental justice, and just as concerned about problems related to traditional environmentalism. Conclusions The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the individual‐level determinants of environmental attitudes, and provide insights into the attitudinal foundations of the modern‐day environmental justice movement.