Reposted with permission from Riley E. Dunlap, Regents Professor, Department of Sociology, Oklahoma State University
Full post can be found here.
“This year's Gallup Environment poll finds historically low levels of public worry about environmental problems (particularly global warming) and support for environmental protection. Are we witnessing the end of environmentalism as a significant social movement and, in the eyes of many, a major progressive force in the United States?”
Look for detailed graphs in the article regarding:
-Orientation Toward Environmental Movement
-Perceived Impact of the Environmental Movement
-Orientation Toward Environmental Movement by Party ID
-Personal Environmental Behaviors and Activism
“Implications
In sum, even as the American public has developed a somewhat less positive view of the environmental movement over the past decade, it continues to embrace many pro-environmental behaviors. This suggests that some of the goals of environmentalism, such as promoting recycling, have become widely accepted (even if the degree of recycling remains much lower than its potential) and noncontroversial among Americans. Further, the (often large) minorities of Americans who engage in various forms of environmental activism -- such as being active in an environmental group or taking the issue into account when they vote -- remain stable, despite the declining popularity of the environmental movement among the public at large.
The overall message seems to be that even though the environmental movement is the subject of more conflict than ever, individual behaviors in support of it endure. While environmentalism thus seems far from dead, activists are surely hoping that 2010 marks a temporary low point in public support for its goals. Without such support, the movement will continue to decline in effectiveness.”
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