Article Review of “Factors influencing private and public environmental protection behaviors: Results from a survey of residents in

Shaanxi, China”Wang Feng, Ann Reisner

By Yuming Huang

Background

China suffers from severe environmental problems.

- Air pollution, water pollution, soil erosion, damage to vegetation, reduction of arable land.

The Chinese government need to use all major approaches to correcting environmental problems.

- Technological solution, legislative changes, social changes, market-based incentives, institutional developments, and educational campaign.

Educational campaign is one of the more effective tools.

One message cannot fit all.

Literature Review

In the U.S., the demographic characteristics & environmental worldview can differentiate greater & lesser support for pro-environmental activity.

- Age, gender, education, political party, race, and residence.

- The New Environmental Paradigm, other eco-centric values.

However, studies in U.S. have limited transferability.

- Findings are limited utility in developing countries.

Literature Review

Studies about China also have limitations.

- National surveys did not concern systematic demographic differences.

- No studies concerns the relatively poorer internal areas of China.

What demographic variables differentiate between high & low levels of private (shallow environmentalism) and public (deep environmentalism) attitudes and behaviors?

Method

Study site: Shaanxi Province, China

- Located in the center of China, 36 million people. (9.83 m in MI)

- 77,2000 sq miles of Shaanxi. (96,716 sq miles of MI)

- one of the earliest cradles of ancient Chinese civilization.

- Terra Cotta Warriors.

- GDP & income are closer to national average.

Method

Questionnaire design

- Includes sections on environmental knowledge, environmental significance, importance of the environment, environmental protection behaviors and demographics.

20 students was assigned to collect 20 interviews by each.

- 347 valid questionnaires were collected.

Method

Characteristics of sample

- 50% female, 50% male.

- Age ranged from 12 to 82 years old, with a mean of 37 years.

- The mean of the income for a household is 1500 RMB ($250).

- Most graduated from high school or junior college.

- The sample data matched the provincial data.

Method

Two multiple regression equations allow us to use additional IVs and simultaneously assess their contribution to a single DV.

- DV: Individual behaviors and public behaviors.

- IVs: environmental knowledge, environmental significance, importance of environmental protection, age, education, income.

Method

A1: Environmental knowledge and individual behaviors are positively correlated.

A2: Environmental significance and environmental importance and individual behaviors are positively correlated.

A3: Age, gender, educational level, income and individual behaviors of are positively correlated.

A4: Environmental knowledge and public behaviors are positively correlated.

A5: Environmental significance and environmental importance and public behaviors are positively correlated.

A6: Age, gender, educational level, income and public behaviors are positively correlated.

Results

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Results

A1: Environmental knowledge and individual behaviors are positively correlated.

A2: Environmental significance and environmental importance and individual behaviors are positively correlated.

A4: Environmental knowledge and public behaviors are positively correlated.

However, with the exception of gender’s impact on individual behaviors of environmental protection, demographic variables have little or no impact on private or public behaviors of environmental protection.

Conclusion and discussion

Education campaigns should focus on the importance of environmental issues.

Women are more likely to be effectively reached with a consistency campaign than males, who are less likely to regularly recycle.

Public environmental behaviors were overall less frequent than private behaviors and were not significantly related to any demographic variables.

Agencies should distinguish what strategies they plan to use to encourage private and public behaviors.

Conclusion and Discussion

Targeted communication efforts are routinely more effective than campaigns addressed to an undifferentiated audience.

The demographic-gender- was significant in this study for the private level assessments of the importance and knowledge.

Those behaviors which have direct economic self-interest for the individual involved are the most consistent pattern of environmental activity.

- Educational campaigns should emphasize private economic benefit whenever possible.

Discussion Questions

What is/are limitation(s) of this study? Do you have any suggestion for future research?

“None of the common demographic variables differentiated environmental attitudes or behavior” in this study. Why?

How do you think about direct economic benefit? Will you use those economic incentives in environmental protection campaigns?

How can we use the findings of this study on environment protection campaign?

Thank you!