Environmental protection or economic growth? The effects of preferences for individual freedoms

Environmental protection is often seen in conflict with individual freedom and economic growth. The proponents of environmental suggest that the environment a global resource must be protected for future generations, even at expense growth freedoms. opponents claim should not come rights liberties, included. This paper studies associations between public preferences protection, growth, freedoms eleven post-soviet countries on representative dataset ( N = 20006, age 18+, M ± SD: 46,04 17,07; 58% women, 46,8% upper education). Methodologically we rely correlations, principal component analysis, ordinal regression analyses. results most personal studied predict preferences. In addition, civil rights, democracy, gender equality, income inequality, low role army politics predicted higher Interestingly, government’s right to video surveillance areas, though diminishing terms anonymity, importance God lives proved increase but was negatively related We government communicate need as part live clean environment.