Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 4.3
Two components in public opinion on environment
3
Component 1
Climate
change
Component 2
Landscapes/
disasters
Indicators
(1) Talking about “the environment” one thinks first of
pollution of towns and cities (Q2; mean
−
0.646
−
0.308
=
18.9%)
(2) Talking about “the environment” one thinks first of
climate change (Q2; mean
0.904
−
0.332
=
16.3%)
(3) Talking about “the environment” one thinks first of
green pleasant landscapes (Q2; mean
−
0.274
0.781
=
14.7%)
(4) Worried about climate change (Q3; mean
=
55.9%)
0.771
0.227
(5) Worried about water pollution - seas, rivers,
underground water (Q3; means
=
47.4%)
0.092
0.703
(6) Worried about air pollution (Q3; mean
=
42.1%)
−
0.691
−
0.104
(7) Worried about natural disasters - earthquakes, floods,
(Q3; mean
=
32.9%)
0.005
0.705
the dimension has the answer that when one is talking about the environment one
thinks first about climate change (loading 0.904). The second highest loading has
the answer that respondents are worried about climate change (0.771). On the other
pole of the dimension there are significant negative loadings of variables indicating
the importance given to (air) pollution of towns and cities. This loading structure
clearly documents a polarisation between, on the one hand, abstract considerations
of climate change and, on the other, concrete concerns with pollution of air and local
levels in towns and cities. It must be stressed that the mean level of worrying about
climate change is relatively high (55.9%).
The second component can be called
landscapes and disasters
and this dimen-
sion is represented by almost 27% of the total variation of the correlation matrix of
the used indicators. The highest positive loading on this component has the answer
that when one is talking about the environment one thinks first about green and
pleasant landscapes (loading 0.781). The second highest loading has the answer that
respondents are worried about natural disasters - earthquakes, floods, etc. (0.705).
A similar high loading has the answer that people are worried about water pollu-
tion - seas, rivers or underground water (0.703). The mean level of the association
of environment with green pleasant landscapes is lower (14.7%), but the other
two indicators represent higher average levels of environmental concerns (32.9 and
47.4%).
The outcomes of the principal component analysis document the significance
of the two dimensions. The scores on the first indicate across the EU27 the more
abstract concerns with climate change and global warming. Solving problems of
climate change and global warming certainly demands EU-wide and especially
world-wide collaboration. It seems that public opinion orientations considering cli-
mate change and global warming as crucial environmental concerns tend to perceive
the current EU as a “regional risk society” that has to develop a political agenda that
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