Australians Care Little About “Climate Change”

Poll after poll after poll consistently show that when given a list if issues, “climate change” comes in way down the list of concerns. More often last place. Heck, in Australia it is 2nd to last when it comes to environmental concerns

(The Age) Australians rank climate change well down on their list of concerns, even though most believe temperatures where they live will rise, according to an annual survey of attitudes by the CSIRO.

On a list of 16 issues ranging from health and cost of living to terrorism and drug problems, climate change came in at just 14th.

Even among environmental issues, the climate ranked only seventh out of eight concerns, behind household waste and above only salinity.

Zoe Leviston, a social psychologist at CSIRO and lead author of the survey, said the ranking was “surprisingly low”, not least because more than 70 per cent of respondents also judged climate change to be either somewhat, very or extremely important.

Dr. Leviston thinks people are turned off because the issue has become so politicized. That could be a partial explanation. I would suggest a bigger one is that when it comes to things people want to actually tackle they stop worrying about a cute little 1st World issue and worry about real things. Climate change is fun and trendy to yammer in about, but when it comes to Doing Something most realize that their own lives will be harmed. And most do not want to give up any of their cushy 1st World lifestyle.

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4 Responses to “Australians Care Little About “Climate Change””

  1. ReFrozen_Spring_Gumballs says:

    And, when it comes to having to pay for that 1st world lifestyle, there’s not much monies left in the old wallet for froo-froo things like forcing other people to change their lifestyles so you can sleep better at night.

    And, people are coming to realize that if an economic downturn that quadruples the unemployment rate, causes tens of millions of people to be forced out of the job market, and yet the CO2 levels still are not down where the IPCC and the greeny Socialists want it to be… then they know what real harm to their economy such proposals hold.

  2. It would be interesting to ask what respondents think climate destabilisation means to their children/ grandchildren’s future. The inability for many to imagine the impact of ocean acidification, more frequent Cat 5 cyclones and wild fires is probably why it ranks where it is. Hope it doesn’t have to take too much more trauma from climate destabilisation for people to become aware

  3. ReFrozen_Spring_Gumballs says:

    Just the other day I had some “climate destabilization” fly in to my yard. Pissed me off. FOrtunately, I just had to wait till the next “climate destabilization” to come and take it away. But then I had to worry about that “climate destabilization” and its impacts. Yesterday, it was all over the city. I mean, “CLIMATE DESTABILIZATION” WAS EVERYWHERE!!!!!111!11

    I couldn’t get away from it. It stuck to my shoes. It was on my car. I have to wait till the next “climate destabilization” till I can get it off my car. However, come this next “climate destabilization” I’ll soon be wishing I had some of that old “climate destabilization” still around.

    Funny about that “climate destabilization”. Just wait a bit, and it will turn “climate destabilization” on you before you know it.

  4. Blick says:

    Climate is generally a composite of similar weather patterns over a long term of decades in a broad geographic area. The two major components are precipitation and temperature and their periodicity. As such, climate cannot be “destabilized”. As a composite, Climate can change over time as weather and weather patterns change. There are catastrophic weather events, but those are generally part of the climate description; ie pacific islands are subject to typhoons. To me it is hard to imagine “destabilize” a desert (which is an erratic weather area)If a lot of moisture is added of a long period of time, the climate changes and it is no longer a desert. but is has not been destabilized. Lousy, term.

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