Do protests influence environmental attitudes? Evidence from Extinction Rebellion
Protests are frequently used to raise public awareness of environmental challenges and increase support for pro-environmental behavior and policy. In this paper we examine the influence of protests on environmental attitudes, focusing on Extinction Rebellion’s April 2019 campaign of civil disobedien...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Communications |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ac9aeb |
| _version_ | 1797844631438753792 |
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| author | Yiannis Kountouris Eleri Williams |
| author_facet | Yiannis Kountouris Eleri Williams |
| author_sort | Yiannis Kountouris |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Protests are frequently used to raise public awareness of environmental challenges and increase support for pro-environmental behavior and policy. In this paper we examine the influence of protests on environmental attitudes, focusing on Extinction Rebellion’s April 2019 campaign of civil disobedience in the UK. Using individual-level survey data collected around the time of the protest, we exploit its exogeneity to the timing of survey response, to compare attitudes towards sustainable lifestyles, perceptions of own environmental impact, support for pro-environmental policy and behavior, and views about the severity and imminence of environmental crises, before and after the protest. There is evidence that the protest is related to lower probability of opposing pro-environmental behavior and policy, and lower willingness to pay a premium for environmentally friendly consumption. We do not find evidence that the protest alienated the public from sustainable lifestyles, influenced perceptions of personal environmental impact, or views about the imminence and severity of environmental crises. Results suggest the need for systematic study of the impact of environmental protests on the general public’s environmental attitudes and behaviors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:25:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e6b6136a1a68400d8e8994357b0a74e0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2515-7620 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:25:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-e6b6136a1a68400d8e8994357b0a74e02023-04-18T14:10:39ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Communications2515-76202023-01-015101100310.1088/2515-7620/ac9aebDo protests influence environmental attitudes? Evidence from Extinction RebellionYiannis Kountouris0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1628-6221Eleri Williams1Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London , 16-18 Prince’s Gardens, London SW7 1NE, United KingdomCentre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London , 16-18 Prince’s Gardens, London SW7 1NE, United KingdomProtests are frequently used to raise public awareness of environmental challenges and increase support for pro-environmental behavior and policy. In this paper we examine the influence of protests on environmental attitudes, focusing on Extinction Rebellion’s April 2019 campaign of civil disobedience in the UK. Using individual-level survey data collected around the time of the protest, we exploit its exogeneity to the timing of survey response, to compare attitudes towards sustainable lifestyles, perceptions of own environmental impact, support for pro-environmental policy and behavior, and views about the severity and imminence of environmental crises, before and after the protest. There is evidence that the protest is related to lower probability of opposing pro-environmental behavior and policy, and lower willingness to pay a premium for environmentally friendly consumption. We do not find evidence that the protest alienated the public from sustainable lifestyles, influenced perceptions of personal environmental impact, or views about the imminence and severity of environmental crises. Results suggest the need for systematic study of the impact of environmental protests on the general public’s environmental attitudes and behaviors.https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ac9aebenvironmental activismenvironmental protestpro-environmental attitudesenvironmental movements |
| spellingShingle | Yiannis Kountouris Eleri Williams Do protests influence environmental attitudes? Evidence from Extinction Rebellion Environmental Research Communications environmental activism environmental protest pro-environmental attitudes environmental movements |
| title | Do protests influence environmental attitudes? Evidence from Extinction Rebellion |
| title_full | Do protests influence environmental attitudes? Evidence from Extinction Rebellion |
| title_fullStr | Do protests influence environmental attitudes? Evidence from Extinction Rebellion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do protests influence environmental attitudes? Evidence from Extinction Rebellion |
| title_short | Do protests influence environmental attitudes? Evidence from Extinction Rebellion |
| title_sort | do protests influence environmental attitudes evidence from extinction rebellion |
| topic | environmental activism environmental protest pro-environmental attitudes environmental movements |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ac9aeb |
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