Determinants of Environmental Attitudes

:This study explores in detail the determinants ofpro-environmental attitudes in a cross-national context, using micro-level data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) 1993, Environment, to make comparisons across the United States, Great Britain, West Germany, Russia, and Japan. In particular, the effects of background characteristics, religious orientation, political value orientation, and knowledge on pro-environmental attitudes are examined. The analysis shows that pro-environmental attitudes–about both the consequences of human actions toward the environment and the consequences of environmental problems on human health–are correlated with belief in the sacredness of nature, liberal values, some kinds of environmental knowledge, and scientific knowledge. Such a relationship occurs among all the countries examined, with some variation in significance and direction of influence. The theoretical and policy-oriented implications of these findings are discussed.