Research Handbook on Environmental Sociology

Edited by Axel Franzen and Sebastian Mader, Institute of Sociology, University of Bern, Switzerland

• Contents:Preface xiIntroduction to the Research Handbook on Environmental Sociology 1Axel Franzen and Sebastian MaderPART I CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS1 The development of global CO2 emissions 5Axel Franzen and Sebastian Mader2 Prices, income and energy demand 27Brantley Liddle and Hillard Huntington3 Consistent inequality across Germany? Exploring spatial heterogeneityin the unequal distribution of air pollution 46Tobias Rüttenauer and Henning BestPART II MEASUREMENT, DESCRIPTION AND PRECEDENTS OFENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN4 Testing the measurement of environmental concern: how do singleitems perform in comparison to multi-item scales? 68Axel Franzen and Sebastian Mader5 The evolution of environmental concern in Europe 84John Kenny6 Where do pro-environmental tendencies fit within a taxonomy ofpersonality traits? 102Taciano L. Milfont7 Climate change knowledge, meta-knowledge and beliefs 122Helen Fischer and Karlijn Van den BroekPART III THE DETERMINANTS OF PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOR8 Environmental behavior: measurement approaches and determining factors 140Peter Preisendörfer and Andreas Diekmann9 Non-monetary incentives and energy conservation 157Ulf Liebe10 The collective risk social dilemma 174Manfred Milinski11 Heating system choice among Swiss households: determinants andeffects of policy counterfactuals 194Patrick Bigler and Doina Radulescu12 Is socially responsible investing (SRI) in stocks a competitive capitalinvestment? A review of the literature and a comparative analysis basedon the performance of sustainable stocks 223Ann-Kathrin Blankenberg and Jonas F.A. GottschalkPART IV ACCEPTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES13 Public support for climate policy 244Stefan Drews14 Climate change denial among the general public: studying individualand contextual determinants in Europe 257Christiane Lübke15 What determines the attitude–behavior link when voting on renewableenergy policies? The roles of problem perception and policy design 275Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen and Philippe Thalmann16 Support for city road tolls: a question of self-interest? 298Fabian Thiel17 Beyond political divides: analyzing public opinion on carbon taxationin Switzerland 320Laurent Ott, Mehdi Farsi and Sylvain WeberIndex

‘Climate change is humankind’s ultimate challenge. It is our behaviour that is causing the climate disaster, because our ancestors were selected to turn resources maximally into offspring. Our evolved heritage are ruthless harvesting strategies that need to be changed to pro-social, pro-environmental attitudes. Sociology provides the core requirements for solving this problem. Here we learn the most recent results of cutting-edge research on causes, consequences and solutions. This book may help us to survive the challenge.’