Going Green: Environmental Protest, Policy, and CO₂ Emissions in U.S. States, 1990–2007

A major goal of the environmental movement is to conserve or improve the natural environment, but evidence showing that environmental mobilization produces positive environmental outcomes is mixed. This article addresses a fundamental question about the relative impact of pro-environmental mobilizat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sociological forum (Randolph, N.J.) N.J.), 2018-04, Vol.33 (2), p.403-421
Main Authors: Muñoz, John, Olzak, Susan, Soule, Sarah A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbon dioxide
climate change
emission levels
Emissions
environmental movement
Environmental movements
Environmental policy
Gasoline
Mobilization
Natural environment
Panel data
policy
protest
Reliance
States
Taxation
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Summary:A major goal of the environmental movement is to conserve or improve the natural environment, but evidence showing that environmental mobilization produces positive environmental outcomes is mixed. This article addresses a fundamental question about the relative impact of pro-environmental mobilization and the scope of an environmental policy regime on the natural environment. Using panel data at the state level from 1990 through 2007, we explore how environmental protest and environmental policies independently (or jointly) reduce CO₂ emissions in U.S. states. We find that the level of emissions in a state declines in states with increases in pro-environmental protest, net of the effects of the range of environmental policies enacted, gasoline taxes, liberal attitudes, reliance on the fossil fuel industry, number of registered lobbyist organizations, gross state product, and population size.
ISSN:0884-8971
1573-7861
DOI:10.1111/socf.12422