Environmental protection preferences under strain: an analysis of the impact of changing individual perceptions of economic and financial conditions on environmental public opinion during economic crisis

Abstract

This paper uses panel survey data from 2002-2008-covering a period of economic prosperity and intense economic difficulties-to analyse the impact of changing levels of economic and financial security from the 2008 economic crisis on individuals' environmental protection preferences. Declining economic conditions in the aftermath of the crisis have been thought to produce lower levels of support for environmental protection and previous literature has predominantly supported this claim. Due to the availability of data, most analysis undertaken to date has focused on aggregate changes using repeated cross-sectional data and various economic indicators. Research looking at individual-level change and how individuals' perceptions of changing economic conditions may affect their prioritisation on environmental protection has however been lacking. This paper finds that neither changing economic perceptions nor changing household financial circumstances can account for the decline in environmental protection prioritisation witnessed in the aftermath of the great recession.

A Finite Pool of Worry or a Finite Pool of Attention? Evidence and Qualifications

“…Some scholars have pointed to the drop in societal concern about environmental problems that occurred around the Great Recession of 2008 as a real-world example of the FPW effect (Kohut et al, 2009;Whitmarsh, 2011). It has been proposed that increased worry about economic problems decreased worry about environmental ones, but the results are correlational and have also been attributed to changing rhetoric by elected officials in the Republican party around this time (Mildenberger and Leiserowitz, 2017;Kenny 2018). In sum, the empirical evidence supporting the FPW hypothesis is notably limited due to power, sample, or design issues.…”

Do environmental preferences in wealthy nations persist in times of crisis? The European environmental attitudes (2008-2017)

“…19 Recent research has addressed the impact of the crises on EU policy-making by providing a 'toolkit' to measure environmental change as a result of exogenous shocks, namely the global economic and financial crises (Burns and Tobin, 2016). Moreover, Falkner (2016b) stressed how the crises have not substantially changed the broad objectives of the European climate and energy policies but changed the 'hierarchy of priorities with now much stronger leaning towards economic concerns andoftenfiscal containment' (Falkner 2016a: 19 One exception is the recent study carried out by Kenny (2018). Although not focussing on the EU, he analysed public opinion's environmental preferences during the 2008 global economic and financial crises and found a lack of correlation between the 2008 crises and a decline in public opinion's environmental preference.…”

“…Building upon Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs, which suggests that in wealthier countries individuals turn their attention towards environmental protection (Kemmelmeier et al ., 2002; Plombon, 2011; Kenny, 2018), Ronald Inglehart and co-authors discussed a change in value preference in relation to economic prosperity and environmental protection (Inglehart, 1977; 1990; Inglehart and Abramson, 1999). Inglehart recognised that value orientations towards post-materialist preferences were generally formed before adulthood and ‘remained relatively fixed thereafter’ (Kenny, 2018: 107; see also Inglehart and Welzel, 2005). Nevertheless, Inglehart also noted that in the presence of extreme socio-economic conditions, such as economic recessions, orientations could meet fluctuations towards ‘a renewed prioritization’ of materialist values (Kenny, 2018: 107, referring to Inglehart, 1983).…”

“…Inglehart recognised that value orientations towards post-materialist preferences were generally formed before adulthood and ‘remained relatively fixed thereafter’ (Kenny, 2018: 107; see also Inglehart and Welzel, 2005). Nevertheless, Inglehart also noted that in the presence of extreme socio-economic conditions, such as economic recessions, orientations could meet fluctuations towards ‘a renewed prioritization’ of materialist values (Kenny, 2018: 107, referring to Inglehart, 1983).…”

“…Furthermore, several studies focussed on the relationship between individual needs and public attention towards policy issues. Building upon Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs, which suggests that in wealthier countries individuals turn their attention towards environmental protection (Kemmelmeier et al ., 2002; Plombon, 2011; Kenny, 2018), Ronald Inglehart and co-authors discussed a change in value preference in relation to economic prosperity and environmental protection (Inglehart, 1977; 1990; Inglehart and Abramson, 1999). Inglehart recognised that value orientations towards post-materialist preferences were generally formed before adulthood and ‘remained relatively fixed thereafter’ (Kenny, 2018: 107; see also Inglehart and Welzel, 2005).…”