Chinas environmental NGOs (ENGOs) are doubly important.Not only have they taken on themselves tasks of environmental protection in the worlds most populous country and second largest economy,but also they may be instrumental in the development of civil society under what is arguably the worlds most powerful authoritarian regime.The Collective Interest Model (CIM) of political activism (Finkel and Muller 1998) proposes that activism is a function of group and individual efficacy,the value placed on the collective good,and the selective costs and benefits to the individual.In this model,public attitudes and attributes are crucial in determining how successful ENGOs can be in expanding their membership and resources.