Thomas J. Hoban

Environmental Worldview and Behavior: Consequences of Dimensionality in a Survey of North Carolinians

This research investigates the potential dimensionality of environmental worldviews using a scale derived from the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP). It delineates the substantive consequences of dimensionality for our understanding of environmental behavior and both demographic and religious correlates of environmentalism. We found that our NEP-based Scale of Worldview contained two distinct dimensions that were differentially predicted by demographic and religious variables. Of particular importance was the relationship of religious fundamentalism to the two subscales thereby highlighting the inherent religious implications of NEP item wording. In general, we found that Worldviews do not contribute substantially to the prediction of Environmental Behavior. Additionally, Worldviews do not allow us to account for demographic differences in the performance of Environmental Behavior. We concluded that environmental worldviews have limited policy implications given the lack of correspondence to behavior but that they remain an important prerequisite to such behavior which is deserving of careful study.

Measuring the benefits of local publilc goods: environmental quality in Gaston County, North Carolina

Local governments across the United states have been confronted with a growing range of federal and state-mandated environmental protection programmes. It is found that an application of contingent valuation to a local environmental policy is internally valid by theoretically and empirically examining the economic determinants of responses to a hypothetical referendum. The resulting option price estimate is statistically reliable and has a reasonable order of magnitude. Results indicate that respondents are willing to pay for improvements in water quality,but not air qualilty. It is found that informatiion from various external sources helps to explain risk perceptions, and these perceptions, in turn influence willingness to pay. The aggregate benefits of an air and water polllution control programme to Gaston County are estimated to be

Denominational subcultures of environmentalism

13.07 million annually with a 90% confidence interval of

Relationships between information sources and farmers’ conservation perceptions and behavior

11.07 million and

Measurement issues with iterated, continuous/interval contingent valuation data

16.12 million.

Willingness to Pay for Agricultural Research and Extension Programs

Utilizing a national sample, six denominational subcultures are examined for average member adherence to dominion belief net of demographic variables. In a test of Lynn White style expectations, denominational subcultures with higher average levels of dominion belief are hypothesized to have lower average levels of environmental concern and behavior; likewise, subcultures with lower average levels of dominion belief are hypothesized to have higher levels of environmental concern and behavior. In no cases are the hypotheses supported; this indicates that denominational differences in dominion belief do not translate into differences in denominational environmentalism. Two additional findings are also discussed: 1) independent of dominion belief, Black Protestant denominations have lower average levels of environmentalism than other subcultures ; and 2) religious salience is found to have a positive effect on environmental concern and behavior when dominion belief is statistically controlled. Implications of this research for the study of religion and environmentalism are discussed.

Cognitive determinants of risk perceptions associated with biotechnology

Abstract Traditionally the primary sources of information used by farmers in the decision to adopt new practices were, in descending order of importance, (1) other farmers, (2) local agricultural product dealers, and (3) local government agencies. Mass media sources were relatively unimportant. Six hundred southwestern Iowa farmers were interviewed to determine their sources of conservation information. The top three sources named were (1) farm magazines, (2) other farmers, and (3) the Soil Conservation Service. The two sources of information most consistently related to awareness of erosion problems and use of conservation practices were the Soil Conservation Service and magazines. The importance of magazines provides useful implications for soil conservation programs.

Sample bias in contingent valuation: A comparison of the correction methods

A useful contingent valuation technique for eliciting estimates of welfare during telephone interviews is the iterated willingness-to-pay question. However, this elicitation method raises at least two important measurement issues: choice of estimation technique and starting-point bias. We acknowledge the potential for starting-point bias and: (1) use a randomly chosen starting point which covers the possible range of willingness to pay; and (2) cease the iteration procedure after a range of willingness to pay is determined. With the resulting continuous/interval data we compare WTP estimates using different econometric techniques (least squares, Tobit and interval data regressions) in order to estimate bias-free WTP. We test for starting-point bias and suggest a correction procedure. We conclude by recommending that future telephone applications of the contingent valuation method should consider the use of the iterated, interval willingness-to-pay question.

Willingness to pay for a saltwater recreational fishing license: a comparison of angler groups.

The North Carolina Agriculture Survey was designed to estimate the willingness to pay for agricultural research and extension programs. We find that North Carolina households are willing to pay between

Food industry innovation: Efficient consumer response

218 and