Comparing public support for wildlife protection and climate protection

Jan Krajhanzl,Tomáš Chabada

doi:10.14712/18023061.624

Abstract

In this study we provide a detailed analysis and comparison of the public support for climate protection and wildlife protection using nationally representative data from the Czech Republic. The results of regression analyses have shown that support for both protections is significantly increasing with growing pro-environmental beliefs of people, leisure time they spent in nature and their altruism. Support for climate protection also rises with higher election participation, left-wing political orientation and younger age. Support for wildlife protection increases with growing trust in non-profit organizations while decreases with growing trust in science & research institutions. The comparison of groups defined according to their consent with climate protection and wildlife protection showed that support for wildlife protection can be characterized as a more inclusive environmental attitude than support for climate protection. The paper discusses the implications of these findings for protagonists of environmental politics and ways how they approach the public.

Highlights

This paper focuses on the public support of two selected environmental issues – climate protection and wildlife protection within the Czech Republic
The research presented in this paper attempts to answer two questions: What are the differences between groups of the public supporting wildlife protection, climate protection, protection in both these issues and neither of these kinds of protection? Is public support for climate protection influenced by the same sociocultural variables as wildlife protection?
In this paper we have analysed and compared support for climate and wildlife protection using the data from the national representative survey undertaken in the Czech Republic

Summary

Introduction

Within the field of study of environmental politics, the relation between public opinion and public policies has been discussed by a number of authors (e.g. Dunlap 1995, Burstein 2003, Weaver 2008, Shum 2009, Pietsch and McAllister 2010, Daniels et al 2013). Dunlap 1995, Burstein 2003, Weaver 2008, Shum 2009, Pietsch and McAllister 2010, Daniels et al 2013) This relation need not always be entirely unambiguous, a majority of authors emphasize the two areas are interconnected to a certain extent It is important to inquire into the direction and strength of public support concerning shaping of environmental policies (Pietsch and McAllister 2010). Environmental policy attitudes may be categorized based on various criteria, for instance types of environmental issues (i.e. pollution, resources) or based on a geographical scale (i.e. local, national, global) (Pakulski et al 1998, Konisky et al 2008)

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Conclusion