UK Sees Rise in Climate Skepticism
Climate scepticism 'on the rise', BBC poll shows
BBCNews.com, Feb, 5, 2010
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 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%.
The poll, based on a sample group of 1,001 adults, was conducted by Populus.
The
findings, based on interviews carried out on 3-4 February, show that
only 26% of people think "climate change is happening and is now
established as largely man-made", only 1% more than those who think
there is no global warming.
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."
The
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra) chief
scientific adviser, Professor Bob Watson, called the findings "very
disappointing".
"The fact
that there has been a very significant drop in the number of people
that believe that we humans are changing the Earth's climate is
serious," he told BBC News.
"Action is urgently needed," Professor Watson warned.
"We need
the public to understand that climate change is serious so they will
change their habits and help us move towards a low carbon economy."
'Exaggerated risks'
Of the
75% of respondents who agreed that climate change was happening,
one-in-three people felt that the potential consequences of living in a
warming world had been exaggerated, up from one-in-five people in
November.
The
number of people who felt the risks of climate change had been
understated dropped from 38% in November to 25% in the latest poll.
During
the intervening period between the two polls, there was a series of
high profile climate-related stories, some of which made grim reading
for climate scientists and policymakers.
In
November, the contents of emails stolen from a leading climate science
unit led to accusations that a number of researchers had manipulated
data.
And in
January, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) admitted
that it had made a mistake in asserting that Himalayan glaciers could
disappear by 2035.
All of
this happened against the backdrop of many parts of the northern
hemisphere being gripped by a prolonged period of sub-zero temperatures.
However,
73% of the people who said that they were aware of the "science flaws"
stories stated that the media coverage had not changed their views
about the risks of climate change.
"People tend to make judgements over time based on a whole range of different sources," Mr Simmonds explained.
He added that it was very unusual for single events to have a dramatic impact on public opinion.
"Normally,
people make their minds up over a longer period and are influenced by
all the voices they hear, what they read and what people they know are
talking about."
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