A recent poll has shown that three-quarters of adult Russians (72%) worry about the ecological situation in Russia. More often than others, high-income earners (79%) and Muscovites (83%) show this concern. Only one-fifth (21%) of those surveyed are not concerned about the environment. The percentage of those who are worried has decreased by as much as 11 percentage points since July 2005, and the percentage of those who are not worried has increased by 7 percentage points. This is probably indicative of an overall trend of decreased interest in environmental issues rather than actual improvements in the environment. A 60% majority of Russians feel that the ecological situation in the country continues to deteriorate, while 22% believe it is not changing and only 7% believe that it is improving. This distribution of opinions is identical with that of 2005.

Forty percent of those surveyed believe the ecological situation in the areas they live is much like in other parts of Russia. One-third of the respondents (33%) believe their local areas are ecologically in worse shape than the rest of the country, while half as many (16%) believe that the environmental situation in their regions is better than in Russia in general. Residents of Moscow and other mega-cities are particularly critical about the ecological situation in their hometowns (47% and 45%, respectively).

When asked who is responsible for the ecological situation in the areas they live in (up to three answers were allowed), respondents tend to blame the local self-government (70%) and industrial plants (40%). Twenty-nine percent put the responsibility with federal authorities and the population in general, 23% said environmentalist organizations were in charge, and 5% put the responsibility with social associations.

We asked respondents an open-ended question about their chief concerns about the ecological situation in their regions. Sixty-eight percent of the sample were able to provide a response. For the most part (26% of the sample’s total), respondents spoke of industrial facilities and the impact on nature of other technological factors. The second most often mentioned concerns were about water (20%) and air (13%), and garbage and related problems ("they dump their garbage wherever they want," – 13%). ‘Grievous environmental abuse’ in general (5%) was mentioned, and so was forest-cutting and insufficient re-planting (8%).

Forty-percent of Russians ‘know’ the term "ecological disaster," and even more (45%) 'have heard it.' These two groups of respondents (84% of the sample) were asked what they think an ecological disaster is. Based on the answers to this open-ended question, most Russians seem to associate this notion with the pollution of soil, water and air (20%), with natural calamities ("tsunami, typhoons, windspouts and earthquakes" – 9%), or man-made accidents (9%) and polluting substances (8%).

More than one-half (55%) of all adult Russians, especially residents of large cities (67%), fear an ecological disaster, and only 24% don’t. Ecological disasters have become more frequent than in the previous five years, according to 57% of respondents. Fifteen percent of those surveyed think that the frequency of environmental disasters hasn’t changed, and only 2% think it has decreased.

We asked respondents who believe ecological disasters have become more frequent what they thought were the causes of this trend. The human factor was mentioned most often (9%). These respondents also said that "scientific and technical progress destroys nature" (6%). Others mentioned environmental abuse (4%), global warming, "growing disbalance in the global ecosystem" (5%), increasing pollution and emissions and "huge environment pollution" (4%). One statement claimed that ecological disasters are a punishment from God: "it is God punishing us for all our sins and our disobedience" – 1%.

Marina Ivanova

1. Ecological Changes

Do you think the ecological situation in Russia has improved, worsened, or remained unchanged over the past several years?

Do you think the ecological situation where you live is better, worse, or about the same as in other regions?

Are you concerned about the ecological situation in your region?

Has the ecological situation in your region worsened, improved or remained about the same as five years ago?

Please select the party or parties you hold responsible for the ecological situation in your region. (Up to three choices are possible).)

2. Ecological Disasters: Defining the Term

Have you ever heard the term "ecological disaster"?

If you were to assess the situation today, would you say that ecological disasters take place more frequently, less frequently, or as frequently as five years ago?( Asked of those aware with the word "ecological disaster," 84% of the total sample.)

Do you fear that an ecological disaster may occur in your region? (Asked of those aware with the word "ecological disaster," 84% of the total sample.)

Do you think the ecological situation in Russia has improved, worsened, or remained unchanged over the past several years?

Доли групп	100	65	24	8	46	54	37	36	27	14	36	32	19	21	28	26	8	12	17	38	25	21
improved	7	8	7	6	8	7	7	9	6	6	7	8	7	7	6	7	7	6	12	6	6	10
remained unchanged	22	22	23	19	23	21	25	22	19	26	24	22	17	22	23	25	19	27	22	20	24	19
worsened	60	59	64	66	57	63	59	62	60	49	58	63	69	61	63	58	63	64	52	64	59	63
hard to answer	10	10	6	9	11	9	9	7	15	19	11	7	7	10	8	10	11	3	14	10	11	8

Do you think the ecological situation where you live is better, worse, or about the same as in other regions?

Доли групп	100	65	24	8	46	54	37	36	27	14	36	32	19	21	28	26	8	12	17	38	25	21
better	16	17	16	12	17	15	14	20	12	12	17	14	21	15	15	18	17	7	12	21	16	19
the same as in other regions	40	41	37	42	39	40	44	35	42	44	41	39	36	42	42	34	24	43	44	38	43	36
worse	33	31	38	35	34	33	31	37	32	30	30	37	36	33	31	37	47	45	30	31	29	37
hard to answer	11	11	10	10	11	11	11	9	14	13	12	10	8	10	13	10	12	5	14	10	13	8

Are you concerned about the ecological situation in your region?

Доли групп	100	65	24	8	46	54	37	36	27	14	36	32	19	21	28	26	8	12	17	38	25	21
yes	72	73	73	75	70	74	69	78	70	54	70	77	82	68	73	79	83	77	71	73	67	82
no	21	19	23	20	24	18	26	17	20	32	22	18	14	25	21	15	15	17	19	22	24	15
hard to answer	7	7	4	4	6	8	6	5	10	14	7	4	4	8	6	6	1	6	10	5	9	3

Has the ecological situation in your region worsened, improved or remained about the same as five years ago?

Доли групп	100	65	24	8	46	54	37	36	27	14	36	32	19	21	28	26	8	12	17	38	25	21
improved	9	10	9	7	10	9	8	11	10	8	9	10	9	8	9	9	6	6	13	11	7	11
remained the same	33	34	31	28	32	33	37	31	29	37	35	33	26	34	34	31	24	28	36	32	37	24
worsened	50	47	53	60	49	50	47	;50	52	44	47	51	57	51	49	53	61	61	42	49	47	56
hard to answer	8	8	7	5	8	8	7	8	9	11	9	6	8	7	7	7	9	5	9	8	9	9

Please select the party or parties you hold responsible for the ecological situation in your region. (Up to three choices are possible).)

Доли групп	100	65	24	8	46	54	37	36	27	14	36	32	19	21	28	26	8	12	17	38	25	21
local authorities	70	69	70	76	69	70	65	73	72	71	69	68	75	67	74	75	60	77	71	70	67	69
industrial enterprises	40	41	40	39	43	38	44	42	32	33	43	42	35	35	38	42	41	38	37	43	39	40
ordinary people	29	27	35	25	27	30	33	27	27	27	27	30	31	25	33	28	25	30	30	25	34	31
federal government	29	25	34	38	30	28	27	34	25	25	29	27	35	27	31	27	40	23	22	31	29	35
ecological organizations	23	25	23	19	21	26	25	24	20	13	25	27	22	25	22	25	25	22	22	23	24	24
public organizations	5	5	5	6	4	6	5	6	5	4	6	3	6	7	5	4	3	2	7	5	6	4
other	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
hard to answer	7	6	7	7	7	7	7	5	10	14	6	6	5	6	6	5	7	4	5	7	8	5

Have you ever heard the term "ecological disaster"?

Доли групп	100	65	24	8	46	54	37	36	27	14	36	<font size="-2">32	19	21	28	26	8	12	17	38	25	21
I know the term	40	39	43	39	43	37	43	42	33	18	31	45	65	28	36	54	60	32	43	42	32	58
I've heard the term	45	47	40	46	45	44	43	46	45	41	51	46	31	48	48	38	34	48	49	43	45	33
this is the first time I've heard this term	11	9	12	9	8	13	9	7	18	32	11	6	3	17	12	5	3	7	5	12	17	4
hard to answer	5	5	5	7	5	5	5	5	5	9	7	3	2	7	4	4	3	13	3	3	6	4

If you were to assess the situation today, would you say that ecological disasters take place more frequently, less frequently, or as frequently as five years ago?( Asked of those aware with the word "ecological disaster," 84% of the total sample.)

Доли групп	100	65	24	8	46	54	37	36	27	14	36	32	19	21	28	26	8	12	17	38	25	21
more frequently	57	60	51	55	58	55	58	60	50	38	56	61	64	49	55	66	74	55	47	63	49	66
as frequently as before	15	14	18	15	15	14	16	16	11	8	13	17	19	12	18	13	11	14	28	11	13	15
less frequently	2	2	1	1	1	2	1	2	2	1	2	1	2	2	1	3	0	2	5	1	2	1
hard to answer	11	10	14	14	13	10	10	10	14	13	10	12	11	13	10	9	9	9	12	11	13	10

Do you fear that an ecological disaster may occur in your region? (Asked of those aware with the word "ecological disaster," 84% of the total sample.)

Доли групп	100	65	24	8	46	54	37	36	27	14	36	32	19	21	28	26	8	12	17	38	25	21
I do	55	57	52	56	50	59	54	58	51	36	53	63	58	52	55	60	53	50	67	53	52	57
I do not	24	23	25	24	31	18	27	24	21	19	24	24	29	20	23	25	36	26	24	24	20	28
hard to answer	6	5	7	4	6	5	5	6	5	4	6	4	8	4	6	6	5	5	1	8	5	6

POF database > Dominants. Opinion Field > Dominants 32 August 9, 2007 > Assessing the Ecological Situation in Russia > Assessing the Ecological Situation in Russia