Protecting nature or promoting competing values and interests?

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Environmental research mainly deals with nature-protective behavior and its explanation by nature-oriented variables. In the present chapter, this perspective of "visions of nature" is broadened by concentrating not only on nature-protective behavior but also on commitments promoting competing aims such as economic interests. In the same way, the analyzed motives are not restricted to the ones of moral reasoning directed towards the interests of nature, but also address competing egoistic interests.
A questionnaire study on the industrial causation of air pollution was conducted in Trier, Germany (N=221). Descriptive results reveal that the potential competition of ecological interests with economic and social interests, representing the three dimensions of sustainability, is indeed present. Although ecological interests gain priority, the other two aims are also accepted. On a behavioral level, however, nature-protective commitments gain high levels of agreement, contrary to endangering commitments. Additional multiple analyses show that these two categories of commitments are determined by different motives: nature-protective commitments are mainly based upon motives of moral reasoning, embracing cognitions (e.g. specific control beliefs) and emotions (e.g. indignation about insufficient nature-protective behavior of others), as well as emotional affinity towards local nature. Nature-endangering commitments which promote local economic interests putting air quality at risk are, however, only partly determined by a denial of nature-oriented reasoning; another important part of the criterion variance traces back to self-interests. Emotional affinity towards nature exerts no impact on nature-endangering commitments.
Theoretical conclusions and implications for future research and for practical purposes are discussed.