Most Would Pay Higher Prices to Save Environment, Poll Finds : Pollution: Even in some poor nations, majorities favored the trade-off, the 22-nation survey says.

WASHINGTON — Even in some of the world’s poorest countries, a majority of people surveyed say they are willing to pay more for what they buy if that is what is needed to protect the environment, according to a 22-nation poll.

The George H. Gallup International Institute reported that a majority of those polled in 16 of the 22 nations said they would be willing to pay higher prices so that industry could better protect the environment.

But majorities ranging from 70% to 51% turned thumbs down to that proposition in the Philippines, Japan, Russia, Turkey, Poland and Hungary.

Majorities in Mexico, Brazil and India--three poor countries with serious environmental problems--said they would accept higher prices for a safer environment.

Others with approving majorities were Uruguay, Chile, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Britain, Canada, Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, South Korea and the United States.

In the United States, 65% of those surveyed said they would trade higher prices for a safer environment.

Comparable answers resulted when participants in the 22 countries were asked if they would give priority to protecting the environment “even at the risk of slowing down economic growth.”

Only in India and Turkey did majorities give economic growth the priority, even if the environment would suffer as a result.

In the United States, 59% said they would accept slower economic growth to protect the environment.

The findings were based on samples of 1,000 or more citizens of each country. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points. The survey was conducted between Jan. 1 and March 31.