A STUDY ON THE CORRELATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN AND AGE

By Sam West

The Problem of Environmentalism

The Demographics effect what policy is set in place.

Often Extreme views are most represented (i.e. lobbies) Most people have NO real opinion on environmental policy

Background information

The Underling information on the town of Southeast

Pop 18,070. Average age 37.5 Median household income was $70,830 (as of 2009)

Voted largely conservative in last election

Hypothesis

The theory that was projected prior to the experiment was that age would in fact have a large effect on environmental opinion and concern. Age would have such a large effect on the outcome

About the Data Collection

Data Collected at the Atlantic and Pacific Tea company and Brewster High School

Ages Between 15 and 62 Most were Employed Low amount of responses All Results kept confidential (Human

reassurance)

Survey Questionnaire: This is a Study that is based around your environmental attitudes. We would like to know how you feel about the

environment. We are also asking you about the demographics of your age, your occupation, and the place that you reside. Answering these question’s will not take more than a few minutes of your time. All answer’s given will remain confidential.

Age:______ Occupation (If any):_________ Area where you reside:_________ Place a number from 1 to 10 in the blank provided (1 being the lowest level of concern, 10 being the highest of your

concern). How important are issues that concern threat’s to the environment in your life?______ How important is the threat of Global Warming to your life______ To what extent are you involved in preventing Global Warming?______ Do you feel threatened by rising sea level?______ Were you upset by the BP oil disaster (1 being not at all effected, 10 strongly effected)?______ Does the threat of overfishing (i.e. salmon, swordfish, cod) prevent you from buying fish as a meal?_____ Does Large Scale Deforestation concern you (clear cutting)?______ Does Disruption of local Ecology (building of houses and roads) concern you?______ Do you care about the stability of the of the local ecology (i.e. invasive species)?______ Are you concerned about Algae blooms in your local watershed?______   Please List bellow what your most concerned about related 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)  

Procedure

Created Survey Placed Survey in Teachers lounge Placed Survey in several student hands

(and made sure they responded) Placed survey near front desk in the A&P Collected all data that was available

Data Collected

Most rank high in concern in Climate change

They Ranked low on tangible damages to the environment

Most were employed

Conclusion

Had strong concern in few area’s except for the most published one’s

Age does not have an effect on the overall concern of each individual

Level of income does not have a major impact