Six hundred ten German and 610 Russian adolescents in three age groups—12, 15, and 18 years—were given a questionnaire assessing their environmental awareness. In both nationalities, anxiety, sadness, and anger about environmental destruction were high, but hopelessness was rejected. Willingness to engage in pro-environmental behavior was also quite strong. German adolescents had stronger feelings and were more willing to engage in personal pro-environmental behavior than were Russians. However, their level of environmental awareness decreased with age. Females of both nationalities had higher levels of environmental awareness than did males; this difference was more pronounced from age 15. Environmental feelings and behavioral tendencies were highly correlated. Differences between culture groups were explained in terms of different societal backgrounds.
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