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The Chernobyl Disaster, Concern about the Environment, and Life Satisfaction

2010; Wiley; Volume: 63; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1467-6435.2010.00457.x

1467-6435

Eva Berger,

Optimism, Hope, and Well-being

KyklosVolume 63, Issue 1 p. 1-8 The Chernobyl Disaster, Concern about the Environment, and Life Satisfaction Eva M. Berger, Eva M. Berger German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Mohrenstr * German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Mohrenstr. 58, 10117 Berlin, Germany. E-mail: eberger@diw.de. I am grateful to Andrew Clark, Daniela Glocker, Florian Köhler, and Gert G. Wagner for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. All errors are my own responsibility.Search for more papers by this author Eva M. Berger, Eva M. Berger German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Mohrenstr * German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Mohrenstr. 58, 10117 Berlin, Germany. E-mail: eberger@diw.de. I am grateful to Andrew Clark, Daniela Glocker, Florian Köhler, and Gert G. Wagner for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. All errors are my own responsibility.Search for more papers by this author First published: 12 January 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6435.2010.00457.xCitations: 45 Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat SUMMARY The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster on satisfaction with life and on concern about the environment. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study and identifying the exogenous event through the exact date of occurance, I find that concern about the environment sharply increased immediately after the incident. However, there is no effect on individuals' satisfaction with life in general. This suggests that, though people in Germany were aware of the severity of the incident, the concept of life satisfaction reflects a rather personal perspective on life. Citing Literature Volume63, Issue1February 2010Pages 1-8 RelatedInformation