http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/22/climatechange.carbonemissions

Poll: most Britons doubt cause of climate change

• Juliette Jowit, environment editor
• The Observer,
• Sunday June 22, 2008

The majority of the British public is still not convinced that climate

change is caused by humans - and many others believe scientists are

exaggerating the problem, according to an exclusive poll for The Observer.

The results have shocked campaigners who hoped that doubts would have

been silenced by a report last year by more than 2,500 scientists for

the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which found a

90 per cent chance that humans were the main cause of climate change

and warned that drastic action was needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The findings come just before the release of the government's

long-awaited renewable energy strategy, which aims to cut the UK's

greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent over the next 12 years.

The poll, by Ipsos MORI, found widespread contradictions, with some

people saying politicians were not doing enough to tackle the problem,

even though they were cynical about government attempts to impose

regulations or raise taxes. In a sign of the enormous task ahead for

those pushing for drastic cuts to carbon emissions, many people said

they did not want to restrict their lifestyles and only a small

minority believe they need to make 'significant and radical' changes

such as driving and flying less.

'It's disappointing and the government will be really worried,' said

Jonathon Porritt, chairman of the government's Sustainable Development

Commission. 'They politicians need the context in which they're

developing new policies to be a lot stronger and more positive.

Otherwise the potential for backlash and unpopularity is considerable.'

There is growing concern that an economic depression and rising fuel

and food prices are denting public interest in environmental issues.

Some environmentalists blame the public's doubts on last year's

Channel 4 documentary The Great Global Warming Swindle, and on recent

books, including one by Lord Lawson, the former Chancellor, that

question the consensus on climate change.

However Professor Bjorn Lomborg, author of The Skeptical

Environmentalist, said politicians and campaigners were to blame for

over-simplifying the problem by only publicising evidence to support

the case. 'Things that we do know - like humans do cause climate

change - are being put in doubt,' said Lomborg. 'If you're saying,

"We're not going to tell you the whole truth, but we're going to ask

you to pay up a lot of money," people are going to be unsure.'

In response to the poll's findings, the Department for the Environment

issued a statement: 'The IPCC... concluded the scientific evidence for

climate change is clear and it is down to human activities. It is

already affecting people's lives - and the impact will be much greater

if we don't act now.'

Ipsos MORI polled 1,039 adults and found that six out of 10 agreed

that 'many scientific experts still question if humans are

contributing to climate change', and that four out of 10 'sometimes

think climate change might not be as bad as people say'. In both

cases, another 20 per cent were not convinced either way. Despite

this, three quarters still professed to be concerned about climate change.

Those most worried were more likely to have a degree, be in social

classes A or B, have a higher income, said Phil Downing, Ipsos MORI's

head of environmental research.

'People are broadly concerned, but not entirely convinced,' said

Downing. 'Despite many attempts to broaden the environment movement,

it doesn't seem to have become fully embedded as a mainstream

concern,' he said.

More than half of those polled did not have confidence in

international or British political leaders to tackle climate change,

but only just over a quarter think it's too late to stop it. Two

thirds want the government to do more but nearly as many said they

were cynical about government policies such as green taxes, which they

see as 'stealth' taxes.

posted to ClimateConcern