GREENHOUSE-GAS EMISSIONS AND AUSTRALIAN COMMUTERS ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR CONCERNING ABATEMENT POLICIES AND PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT

Public interest in the environment is building as we gain information about the deterioration in air quality and the potential threat of glo bal warming. This research addresses the dichotomy between an individu al's behavior and his or her attitudinal support for policies which ar e promoted as benefiting the environment. We study how responses to at titudinal survey questions are interrelated, and how such responses ar e related to actual travel behavior using data from a survey undertake n in six capital cities in Australia in 1994. A measurement model is u sed to establish a set of latent attitudinal factors, and these factor s are related in a structural equations model to a set of behavioral v ariables representing commuters' mode choice and choice of compressed work schedules, conditioned by a set of exogenous variables. Individua ls with a strong environmental commitment are more likely to be female , from smaller households with fewer cars, be either under 30 years ol d or over 50 years old, have high household income and be highly educa ted. However, women are likely to view the car as a status symbol, and this attitude is conducive to choice of solo driving. Commuters who u se public transport are more likely to support policies aimed at reduc ing greenhouse gas emissions. Switching commuters away from solo drivi ng can have effects that transcend the benefit obtained from reduced v ehicle use for the journey to work alone. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Lt d. All rights reserved.