UPDATE: Related, a Pew Poll says fewer respondents also see global warming as a very serious problem; 35% say that today, down from 44% in April 2008.
From a press release by the Harris Poll sponsored by the Financial Times
Fewer Americans than people in 5 largest European countries give “green” responses in 6-nation Financial Times/Harris Poll on climate change
New York, NY — October 22, 2009 — A new Financial Times/Harris Poll in the United States and the five largest European countries finds that Americans under 65 are less likely than Europeans to see climate change as a major threat, to see the need for a new international agreement on climate change as a top priority or to favor increased aid to developing countries to help them deal with climate change. However, most people in all six countries agree, when asked, that signing a new treaty on climate change should be one of our top priorities.
These are some of the findings of a Financial Times/Harris Poll conducted online by Harris Interactive among 6,463 adults aged less than 65 in France, Germany, Britain, Spain, Italy and the United States between September 30 and October 7, 2009.
While there are a few exceptions, smaller proportions of Americans than of Europeans under 65 seem to be worried about climate change or to support policies to address it.
For example:
• While large majorities of people over 65 in all six countries see climate change as posing a threat to the world, fewer Americans (27%), than people in Britain (31%), France (46%), Italy (49%) or Spain (35%) see it as a “large threat.”
• In Europe, between 60% (in Britain) and 89% (in Italy) believe that, when governments meet in Copenhagen, “signing a new treaty . . . on climate change” should be one of the top priorities. In the United States, a lower 53% feel this way.
• Majorities of working people in France (67%), Spain (67%), and Italy (57%) believe that their employers “should be doing more” to “reduce their environmental impact.” Slightly less than half of workers in the United States (45%), Britain (44%) and Germany (48%) feel this way.
• Not many people under 65 in any of the six countries say they would be willing to pay more taxes to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and on this question the United States (21%) is in the middle of the pack, below Spain (29%), and Italy (23%) but above Britain (16%) France (15%) and Germany (15%).
• Far fewer people under 65 in the United States (12%) and in Britain (12%) than in Spain (36%), France (30%), Italy (26%) and Germany (20%) would like the products they buy to have labels showing “the amount of carbon emitted in the course of their production.”
• Americans (20%) are also much less likely than the Italians (54%), Spaniards (53%), French (52%) or Germans (51%) to support additional aid to developing countries to help them deal with climate change. The British (31%) are somewhat closer to Americans on this issue.
• Majorities in all five European countries, 51% in Britain and more than 60% in France, Italy, Spain and Germany believe that the world will be in a worse position “if there is no agreement at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.” In the United States, a lower 45% believe this.
There is one related issue, however, on which Americans are more likely to feel strongly. Fully 83% of Americans under 65 believe the United States needs to reduce oil and gas imports from other countries. Those who feel this way in the other five countries vary from 50% in France to 71% in Italy.
So what?
In the early days of the environmental movement, following the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, Americans were probably more concerned about the environment than people in most, possibly all, other countries. This poll shows that this is no longer the case. This is important because democratically elected governments are responsive to public opinion, even if they do not always do what majorities would like them to do.
Having said that, it is important to note that majorities, mostly large majorities, in all six countries including the United States, believe that signing a new climate change treaty should be “one of the top priorities.”
Note: The full questions asked can be seen here
Methodology
This FT/Harris Poll was conducted online by Harris Interactive among a total of 6,463 adults aged 16-64 within France (1,151), Germany (1,033), Great Britain (1,126), Spain (1,076) and the United States (1,017), and adults aged 18-64 in Italy (1,060) between September 30 and October 7, 2009. Figures for age, sex, education, region and Internet usage were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult populations of the respective countries. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls and of the British Polling Council.
I wonder how many of those people who, ‘ want a new climate change treaty …signed in Copenhagen ‘have the least idea what it actually says. More a socialist manifesto than a climate change policy. Have a look at pages 62 and 122.
Frankly I could care less about the Europeans. Its my country I am worried about. These loons elected Gordon Brown, Adolf Hitler, and a host of other less than savory characters. The world is not a democracy. The Rush solution comes to mind although I never listen to the guy.
Us Brits are bombarded with AGW stories left, right and centre in the media. We are badgered in the workplace by carbon-control posters. Our children are instructed to live in fear of impending catastrophes, and tested and tested again to check whether they are meeting educational standards which the boss of our main supermarket chain says is producing school leavers who are incapable of working in a store without considerable further training. We are told daily that eating meat shortens your lifespan, through cancer or debilitating diseases.
We are flooded with conflicting, unsupported, circumstantial medical and social advice that leaves everyone confused and paralysed in case they do the wrong thing, which is in the UK, almost certainly punishable by one of the new laws. Our populace seems to have no connection with those in government, who are creating and enforcing laws that are so ludicrously broad-brush and draconian even police officers fall foul of them, whilst refusing to admit it and carrying on as before when they are caught red handed themselves.
I’m surprised the score is as low as 60%.
We have had a reasonably pleasant October so far, and it doesn’t look like there is a cold snap on the way yet. I’m betting that it will be the warmest on record. Even if it isn’t.
g broadley (10:26:10) :
You can reduce consumption of fossil fuels in two ways . First by direct intervention of goverments , ie legislation for smaller cars , insulation for houses, direct rationing of fuel – or secondly push the price up with carbon taxes on electricity and petrol or cap and trade systems.
If evidence shows (as it does) that CO2 is a non-issue, then the real concern is the expense of foreign fossil fuel. Lowering consumption is a fourfold goal:
1) Reduce foreign imports and cost thereof
2) Increase domestic energy production including alternatives
3) Greatly improve national security
4) Benefit from electrification and alcohol, cleaner air, lower cost, etc.
A year from now GM’s Extended Range Electric Vehicle, the VOLT starts selling. It costs owners an average of 80 cents for 40 miles range. Sure beats foreign oil.
A very large number of people here in England are actually quite frightened to express any form of opinion which runs, or may run, counter to our Socialist Government’s line as bruited in the MSM. Many “thought crimes” are now punishable offences in this country; certain opinions which can be freely held and expressed in the USA can land you in jail in England.
The entire citizenry has been banned from holding any form of firearm other than shotguns and, in very rare cases, approved calibre rifles; no handguns of any sort may be legally held. (Oh, that law doesn’t apply to our growing number of criminals, of course.)
Our serving politicians of all parties have been shown to be corrupt and venal in the extreme insofar as the financial abuse of their positions is concerned but that does not hinder them in the slightest from driving this country deeper and deeper into un-repayable debt.
I do not wonder for one second as to why the results of this poll reflected in the main the Government’s stated policies. The poll respondents probably glanced over their shoulders before giving the “right and politically acceptable” reply.
Yes, it really IS now that bad here in England!
Stoic (12:12:54) :
Thanks for the link. I voted count me out & left a comment too.
DaveE.
Lex (10:36:34) :
tallbloke (09:49:09)
Very scientific remark. Don’t forget to mention the housing market in Spain, the Baltic republics, the UK and Ireland, the Netherlands. Who is defaulting, you say?
There is enough blame to go around. Don’t let them divide us.
If you think this collapse was not deliberate, you would be mistaken.
@ur momisugly Adolfo Giurfa (12:09:59) :
I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the USA to solve this or any other problem.
Most people in this country just go through their lives blindly and don’t take the time to learn what is happening. Their focus in life is mass consumption and physical pleasure. Many Americans now demand cradle-to-grave care from the government and expect their wants and needs to be satisfied by someone else’s labor.
Our children no longer learn about American government or American history. American exceptionalism is no longer taught to students. Instead of learning the greatness of this nation’s founders, we now teach how Jefferson, Adams, Washington, et. al., were rich, white slave-owning men who made their fortune exploiting the common man. Academic cheating is rampant because students are indoctrinated not in hard work but in how every prominent American only got ahead through cheating.
There is still hope in America, but things will get worse before they get better.
Forgot to mention.
I’m waiting on the re-education squad as I’ve not hidden my identity nor gone through proxy servers. 😉
DaveE.
OceanTwo (12:00:05)
You forgot one thing in your reality show scenario.
The “expenses” for handling all the details for the polar bear will exceed 90% of the take. So the actual amount for the polar bear will be less than 10% of the gross.
Consensus ! The majority are believers. It must be true !
However 50% of the population is below average intelligence, so consensus should not be surprising. (I’ve found that a surprising number of people can’t accept this dinner party factoid. For the pedants: median and mean are virtually the same for intelligence.)
Using Global Warming to Steal your Rights
http://factsnotfantasy.blogspot.com/2009/10/using-global-warming-to-steal-your.html
I find that the mixing of key words and the pharasing of questions in this poll are quite misleading.
For instance the question of priority at Copenhagen is tied to there being a treaty meeting rather than the priority of having a treaty. Well duh, if we are paying for all these bureaucrats to go there, we should expect results. Even (or is that especially) if that means signing a meaningless piece of paper.
Another way this poll misleads is the mixed use of the terms pollution/environment and greenhouse gas. The responses I would give related to pollution (bad, wicked, etc.) are quite different than what I would answer regarding greenhouse gasses (minor proble if one at all).
I doubt the pollers are NOT aware of what they are doing. I may be seeing mist, but I think I can see that the different reponses in some areas of the poll are indicating less support for greenhouse gas as a problem than pollution.
This may be because they believe that the Americans are the source of the problem and the greatest obstacle to its solution. If they thought they were at fault, they would care less.
Well bully for the treaty-pushers, then, but just because a lot of people “think” so doesn’t mean they’re right!
Furthermore, many (in the U.S.) think that respecting liberty means that our representatives must do what the majority want them to. Not so! If government intervention cannot be done without violating the Constitution, it is up to the masses to realize this and for government to say no to the masses when the masses fail to realize this, even if that would make them unpopular.
In this case, compensation must be offered (and accepted as adequate) by all who will have their liberties reduced by this kind of legislation. But there is no way government can pay that bill. Raising taxes would only be more unjust to more people, and thus require more compensation yet.
i.e., There is no way that this kind of legislation will ever be legal!
Ron de Haan, you posted a link about a recent solar flare.
The site had a $5 monthly subscription you could purchase for updates on space weather. Does anyone know where that is? My son wants to join.
Back2Bat (11:35:46) :
Too bad we have a mal-educated populace
It shows in the science illiteracy so vividly demonstrated on even this blog.
Stephen Brown (12:48:45) :
It’s no better in Scotland and Wales!
Bailing Ship
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/4691829.BBC_relents_over_debate_on_warming/
Leif,
Ankle bothering you?
Most folks are preoccupied with other things and are not interested enough to investigate for themselves what CO2 reductions really mean to the future cost and reliablity of energy.
Given the current state of the art in energy production and barring a major technical breakthrough, the notion that substantial reductions in CO2 will require only modest cost increases is wishful thinking at its best and intentional disinformation at its worst.
No matter the longitude of one’s residence, if they knew the truth about co2 reductions, they would not support the treaty.
I was 16 years old. I was on top of a Mesa in central Sweden, for 3 days of soaring plane work. (Run by the Swedish Air Force). I was an American Civil Air Patrol Cadet.
We had fellows from Switzerland, England, Scotland and Canada. I found a broken piano in the corner of the dining hall. I opened it up and found the “pull back stirups” were mostly gone. I asked the dining hall director if she would mind if I would fix it. She said NO, go ahead. I went and got a needle nose pliers, some fine signal wire (always carry with me!) and came back to fix the piano.
Three of the Brits showed up while I was doing it. They began to harangue me about my lack of experience, my not knowing what I was doing, and that it would be impossible for me to “fix” the “delicate instrument”.
Then one of the Swedish Viggan fighter pilots, doing some “holiday soaring” came by. He said, “Oh, I’ve ordered the stirrupts, and I was going to fix it myself. But let’s see what you have..” He worked with me for about 5 minutes, we tweeked things, and then he sat down and started playing “stride jazz piano”, like from New Orleans..perfect. “Well, this works quite well with your little fine wires as pull backs!”
I watched the BRITS slink away…. my lesson, some 30 plus years ago, about the rigidity and lack of initiative of the “European” personalities.
(By the way, USA Civil Air Patrol cadets were 14 to 18 years old. The other nation’s air cadets were all “College Aged” , more of an ROTC..)
D. King (13:03:29) :
Lex (10:36:34) :
tallbloke (09:49:09)
Very scientific remark. Don’t forget to mention the housing market in Spain, the Baltic republics, the UK and Ireland, the Netherlands. Who is defaulting, you say?
There is enough blame to go around. Don’t let them divide us.
If you think this collapse was not deliberate, you would be mistaken.
My tongue was planted firmly in cheek, as I hope Richard’s was too. 😉
Adam from Kansas (11:10:07) :
Well people see the cold weather stories and they’re like, is AGW really happening or is it just the alarmists?
Considering that, the oceans are still in heat release mode and El Modoki’s strengthening a bit which Tallbloke himself said was kicked on or caused by this longer period of inactivity by the Sun, the Europeans who don’t read this blog might not know that though and just see warm oceans.
Well, the folks round the edges of europe might. It seems to be getting mighty cool in the middle of the continental masses right now. I’ll be very interested to see what happens to air temps compared to SST’s over the next two months. I suspect that even if SST’s stay high, we’ll see air temps dropping off or at least not zipping up in response to SST peaks like they were in July.
Back2Bat (14:40:01) :
Ankle bothering you?
This is the best you can come up with?