Uncertainty, risk, trust, and information: Public perceptions of environmental issues and willingness to take action

Environmental policymaking has remained an important issue in American publ ic policy for many years. While many individuals have proenvironmental atti tudes, they remain unwilling to rake the actions necessary to achieve envir onmental goals. Many variables have been used to explain support for enviro nmental policymaking. This study looks at the effect of uncertainty about e nvironmental quality, perception of risk from environmental hazards, and tr ust in government and university scientists on willingness to take environm ental action. The study examines the impact of these three variables on two environmental issues-tap water and nuclear power. The data were collected from a national sample of 400 individuals. This article presents the result s of this research and examines the complex relationships among risks, trus t, uncertainty, and willingness to take environmental action. The conclusio ns improve our understanding of environmental attitudes as well as have pra ctical implications for policymakers who need to build public support for p olicies designed to improve the environment.