title: 'Green' on the ground but not in the air: Pro-environmental attitudes are related to household behaviours but not discretionary air travel.
abstract: The rise in greenhouse gas emissions from air travel could be reduced by individuals voluntarily abstaining from, or reducing, flights for leisure and recreational purposes. In theory, we might expect that people with pro-environmental value orientations and concerns about the risks of climate change, and those who engage in more pro-environmental household behaviours, would also be more likely to abstain from such voluntary air travel, or at least to fly less far. Analysis of two large datasets from the United Kingdom, weighted to be representative of the whole population, tested these associations. Using zero-inflated Poisson regression models, we found that, after accounting for potential confounders, there was no association between individuals' environmental attitudes, concern over climate change, or their routine pro-environmental household behaviours, and either their propensity to take non-work related flights, or the distances flown by those who do so. These findings contrasted with those for pro-environmental household behaviours, where associations with environmental attitudes and concern were observed. Our results offer little encouragement for policies aiming to reduce discretionary air travel through pro-environmental advocacy, or through 'spill-over' from interventions to improve environmental impacts of household routines.
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3HD, UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Alcock
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3HD, UK.
authors.forename: Mathew P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3HD, UK.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Animal and Plant Sciences, Alfred Denny Building, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
authors.forename: Deborah F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Coldwell
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Rd. NE, Mailstop 1518-002-2BB, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States.
authors.forename: Matthew O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Gribble
authors.affiliation: Animal and Plant Sciences, Alfred Denny Building, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
authors.forename: Karl L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Climate Outreach, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE, UK.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corner
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3HD, UK; Environmental Change Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical & Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Campus, OX11 0RQ, UK.
authors.forename: Sotiris
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vardoulakis
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3HD, UK.
authors.forename: Lora E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Fleming
keywords: Attitude-behaviour consistency; Climate change concerns; Discretionary air travel; Pro-environmental behaviour; Pro-environmental spill-over; Voluntary air travel