Climate scepticism ‘on the rise’, BBC poll shows
The number of British people who are sceptical about climate change is rising, a poll for BBC News suggests.
The Populus poll of 1,001 adults found 25% did not think global warming was happening, a rise of 8% since a similar poll was conducted in November.
The percentage of respondents who said climate change was a reality had fallen from 83% in November to 75% this month.
And only 26% of those asked believed climate change was happening and “now established as largely man-made”.
The findings are based on interviews carried out on 3-4 February.
In November 2009, a similar poll by Populus – commissioned by the Times newspaper – showed that 41% agreed that climate change was happening and it was largely the result of human activities.
“It is very unusual indeed to see such a dramatic shift in opinion in such a short period,” Populus managing director Michael Simmonds told BBC News.
“The British public are sceptical about man’s contribution to climate change – and becoming more so,” he added.
“More people are now doubters than firm believers.”
Read the complete story at the BBC
See the report in PDF format:
The cold wind of change blowing up the Khyber Pass of the establishment.
Trust is such a precarious thing.
If the science hadn’t been so corrupted just to push an agenda and the studies had been allowed to show doubts and the possibility of natural climate variation, the number might be the same as they are now — only, instead of falling, they might be rising in support of AGW. It would just have taken longer to convince people.
Now the trust has been betrayed.
Now, skeptics can say that there’s some AGW, but it’s too small to amount to much and natural climate variability is more powerful. And with open studies, they can be convinced. Of course, the true believers will never allow themselves to believe anything but that AGW is the be all and end all of the climate.
Now let’s wave bye-bye to those true believers as they ride off into the sunset…
Fear ye not, oh believers…Prophet Richard (Black) says it’s the fault of an inconstant public swayed by cold weather!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/2010/02/cold_view_of_rising_scepticism.html
Onwards and forwards, hoping in a warm summer!!
And the Guardian is still going strong.
Here is an editorial explaining the change of heart in the environmental reporting of the last week.
Climate science: Truth and tribalism
And here is an opinion article in the main news section:
Is climate change the new faith?
(note the euphemism ‘agnostic’ for sceptic – its like the way you yanks calling the ‘toilet’ a ‘bathroom’ – like, its not only smelly to be a sceptical in science these days but in journalism as well)
This is generally good news. However strangely perhaps I am sorry to see that the numbers of people thinking warming is not happening has increased. One of the crimes of those promoting the AGW hypothesis is that they have managed to persuade people that the natural state of the climate is stability and that change is therefore the result of man. Most of us arguing against AGW know that this is not the case and one of the main planks of our argument is that the climate is continually changing as a result of natural causes.
If people are becoming convinced that we are not seeing warming – natural warming as a result of the move out of the last glacial period – then it actually makes the task of combating the AGW fraud all the harder. I am very pleased that people are more sceptical of man’s contribution but it would be far better if they were more aware of just how lucky we have been as a species to live in a period of relative climate stability and how quickly that might, quite naturally, change.
Scepticism on the rise but not at the (Australian) ABC. For more uncritical reporting of the coming doom follow this link…
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/06/2812229.htm?section=justin
I’m a realist on climate change, and a sceptic on opinion polls, particularly regarding how the “sample population” was distributed. I know not one adult person who thinks that climate change is largely man-made.
What may be interesting is that in 11/09 only 4% had “no opinion” (presumably) and that has now reduced to a nominal 1%; which might indicate that it’s a matter of great interest which is all to the good.
OT- Electric Charge Can Change Freezing Point of Water.
Could this apply on a global scale?
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/02/electric-charge-can-change-the-freezing-point-of-water/#more-17792
Pew Environment Report reported on by Australian ABC available here for scrutiny. It seems it got the standard “mates” review we are accustomed to.
http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=57161
This was why I was on about the UAH data showing strong warming. Whatever the cause, it is clearly occurring over the last 30 years. So that 25% is denying some fairly clear empirical facts.
I predict another ‘Barbacue Summer’ and another MET office red face.
Will David Bellamy be back at the BBC soon then?
The majority of people in the UK are still not aware of the issues, even though it has recently had a very limited airing in the national press and on television. It is surprising therefore that there has been even this modest amount of change in perceptions. Without the recent revelations, the publishers of the survey would have been looking forward to a trend the other way. The amount of propaganda leading up to Copenhagen was enormous, so people could have been forgiven for believing that there was some truth in it. Even now it is still business as usual, with the government still pumping out their misinformation adverts. Apparently, I will save the planet if I just drive 5 miles less per week.
It’s very easy to get the answer you want from a survey by tilting the question. The latest survey asking ‘Do you think climate change is taking place?’ is a pretty useless question without asking WHY. Even I would be compelled to answer yes because the climate is always changing. The November survey is much more illuminating. Only 26% believe ‘Climate change is happening and is now established as largely man made’.
The wheels are coming off the UK governments energy policies as well. Yesterday’s FT had a number of articles saying the numbers don’t add up.
interesting that the Beeb have gone with the headline figure (25% don’t believe global warning is occurring) rather than the more explosive number; only 26% think that GW is happening but not as a result of human behaviour!
That the UK government planning major changes to the economy or tax system based on something that nearly 74% of the population don’t believe in is frankly absurd.
Bit of an unfair question that, is climate change happening. Every answer should be yes. It should have been is Global Warming happening, or better yet is Globam Warming as expressed by Mr Gore happening.
The first graph is very misleading, because it sums up poll data for the wrong question. The question is not wether there is global warming, but if man got anything to do with it. So it gives a false positive impression that the vast majority believes in man-made flobal warming.
I’d be surprised if there isn’t a bit of a recovery in AGW belief once the memory of what’s been one of the worst winters ever start to fade.
Given that by the law of averages we’re probably also due a decent summer then more people might start if not to believe again at least stop questioning whether it’s all just a big scam.
If so, we can then expect to see reports of unprecedented increases in belief in AGW and that something must be done.
Still, there has to be some long term damage resulting from the various -gates and as the IPCC’s and others many failings get more exposure hopefully even our politicians will start to listen.
The global warming agenda has suffered a loss of nearly half its believers in the last three months. If my job depended on taxpayer-funded grants and budgets, I would be worried, too.
To illustrate how unpopular the whole man-made global warming propaganda has become, this extract is from today’s Express:
MET OFFICE BLASTED FOR ‘BIASED SUPPORT OF CLIMATE THEORY’
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/156564/Met-Office-blasted-for-biased-support-of-climate-theory-
The Met Office was last night accused of bring too heavily biased in support of arguments
February 6, 2010
Mark Reynolds
THE Met Office was last night accused of being too heavily biased in support of arguments suggesting global warming is man-made. Critics said the taxpayer- funded body had no right to enter such a politically charged arena in the wake of an on-going row embroiling climate change scientists at the University of East Anglia.
A leaked email scandal at the university, which suggested that data which did not support theories of man-made global warming had deliberately been withheld, prompted the Met Office to issue a statement in support of the global warming camp. It also called on scientists to sign up to a petition in support of the climate change science.
Benny Peiser, director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, who claims man-made climate change has been exaggerated, said the petition showed the Met Office was rattled. Dr Peiser said: “They have come out on one side and are paying the price. They have been far too heavily biased and have not been objective.”
Earlier this week Professor Julia Slingo, Chief Scientist at the Met Office, urged the public to believe the science supporting the theory that man is behind global warming. She stressed that carbon dioxide levels were rising and that the gas’s impact on temperature had been known about since the 19th century…
…There has been an increase in the number of British people who are sceptical about climate change, a poll commissioned by BBC News has suggested. It showed that 25% of those questioned did not think global warming was happening, an increase of 10% since November.
This is is completely OT but will surely knock a few million peoples faith in computer programmes.
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/8500074.stm
Delete if you wish.
I think what you’ll see now is the steady ratcheting down of the rhetoric over climate change by the more savvy members of the warmist community who’ve realised that Doomsday scenarios just don’t play well in the public arena.
The real nutters, Like Prince “I talk to the plants” Charles, will still keep on with the end of the world stuff, but watch the more astute politicians gradually dial it down and eventually let it fade into the background as the world fails to go into catastrophe.
I would like to see the poll results by age group as I am sure that most of the firm believers are those who have been through our “school indoctrination system” in the last 20 years.
I don’t know anyone under forty who has swallowed the guff put about by the so called scientists.
I guess the British public aren’t as stupid as the Beeboids want to think we are. Will this sudden injection of cold reality shake the Beeb and our stupid politicians free of the AGW madness? I won’t hold my breath…
I’m amazed that this poll is showing showing such a high number (25%) of people who still believe in M-MGW ! I would like to have seen the exact questions asked by the people doing the survey – it is easy to get the answer you want to see depending on how things are phrased.
From my own experience of talking about this with relative, friends, acquaintances and the customers at my local pub over the last couple of months , only a handful of the rabid warmistas are left.
The remaining 90% think the whole thing is a joke, with the failed MSM ‘alarmist’ predictions, the last few cold years and finally the Met Office’s rubbish forecasts being given as the main reason for doubt. There has also been a breakdown of trust in the authority of government in the UK, due to vast amounts of tax being squandered on saving the banks and evidence that the majority of politicians have been lining their pockets at tax payers expense through expenses fraud.
With a general election coming up in a few months time, and the polls showing the possibility of a hung parliament, the politics of CAGW could rapidly change.
I’m really enjoying watching those greedy barstewards squirm 🙂
September 3, 2009
HELEN LIDDELL:
(former British high commissioner to Australia)
“It is a very difficult (question) to answer briefly and I have to say it’s one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had in Australia is to hear this challenge to the basic science of climate change. We had that debate 10, 15 years ago, and not just in Britain but in other parts of the world.”
abc QandA
But 7 days later:
September 10, 2009
UK climate scepticism more common
The British public has become more sceptical about climate change over the last five years, according to a survey.
BBC
Then the new British high commissioner arrived in Australia:
November 14, 2009
Baroness Valerie Amos, has expressed surprise that Australians are still debating whether humans cause climate change and says other nations have long since ”moved on”.
The Age
It looks like the British are moving on again.