5%
Only this percentage of people in Russia lead a model lifestyle when it comes to environmental friendliness.
This means that not only are they concerned about the environment and always clean up waste after themselves, but that they also adhere to at least one of the following environmentally friendly practices: conserving water, electricity and natural gas; properly disposing of hazardous waste; and paying attention to whether household appliances and cleaning products are safe for both the environment and people when making purchase decisions.
At the same time, the absolute majority of Russians are interested in the condition of the environment (78%). More than half of Russians (61%) would place at least one environmental problem (e.g., pollution, climate change, drinking water quality) at the top of the list of global challenges facing humanity.
These data were obtained by experts at the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) in 2014 during a study aimed at finding out how close Russians are to an environmentally friendly way of life and the desire to minimize environmental damage.
See also:
Exploring the History of Places and Environment in Russia
The collective volume Place and Nature: Essays in Russian Environmental History, co-edited by David Moon, Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and HSE researcher Alexandra Bekasova, was recently presented at a seminar of the Laboratory for the Environmental and Technological History of the Centre for Historical Research at HSE – St. Petersburg. The book is one of the fruits of a networking project carried out in 2013-2016 with active participation of HSE researchers.
The Garbage Problem: How Russians Are Dealing with It
Waste sorting is recognized as the most effective way to deal with the world’s waste problem. Yet nearly 70% of Russians neither sort their garbage nor intend to. But this is no reason to underestimate the population: 86% of Russians have adopted at least one of the habits outlined below to reduce household waste. Marina Shabanova studied the forms, motives, and potential of these practices. The results of the study will be presented at the 20th Annual April Conference at HSE.
The Success of an Environmental Charge
In October 2015, England introduced a charge for single-use plastic bags in supermarkets. The charge was largely supported by the population, led to substantial reduction in plastic bag use, and catalyzed a wider support for similar measures aimed at tackling plastic waste.
70
trees and shrubs were planted by HSE students and staff as part of the ‘Green mobilization’ campaign.
1.6 С
is the average temperature increase every ten years since 1976 in Russia’s environmentally vulnerable regions.