Environmental problems and protection

The last Public Opinion Quarterly report on the environment noted that "the issue of environmental protection has had its ups and downs [but] has been a persistent concern" (Gillroy and Shapiro 1986, p. 270). Five years later it is clear that public support for environmental protection not only has persisted but also has risen substantially in recent years. This report documents that upward trend by reviewing a wide range of national trend data. But first, the history of public opinion on environmental issues is briefly reviewed in order to put the recent trends into context.