The geography of American environmentalism

Abstract

Environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act are administered largely at the state level, with more or less enthusiasm, depending on the state. Here we examine the spatial distributions of four indicators of environmentalism: organizational membership, public opinion, Congressional representation and state-level environmental policy. Public support for environmental protection is strongest in the nation's northeast quadrant and the West Coast. The Dakotas, the intermountain West and the Deep South have the least concern. Level of environmentalism is largely explained by state levels of electricity consumption and education and inversely by political conservatism. Cultural traditions also apparently explain some of the variation across regions.