Public Attitudes Toward Population and Pollution

This survey<cross-ref type="fn" refid="fn2">†</cross-ref> describes the reactions of residents of Illinois to the population and pollution “crises”: the former as it applies both to the United States and to other parts of the world; the latter as it affects the residents of this country. The major purpose of the survey was to find out how interested, knowledgeable, and concerned the American public was about problems that have been given first-order prior-ity by the national administration, the mass media, and some eminent scientists. A less important purpose of the survey was to find out if and how the public assessed responsibility for the state of affairs as they perceived it; and what ideas they had for alleviating or solving the problems.