Abstract

This analysis examines the often assumed, yet little explored, association between residential proximity, socioeconomic status, and depictions of the environment in localized controversies. Focusing on a grassroots organization, we examine the extent to which activists' usual place of Residence, as indicative of wealth, mediates the manner in which they describe current and probable future conditions. Based on quantitative and qualitative analyses, we argue that where a person lives for most of the year exerts a strong influence on perceptions of and communication about an environment at risk.