Attitude change in the USA – Yale Project on Climate Change.
29/7/2009 Interview on Itunes U with the Director of the Yale Project on Climate Change, Anthony Leiserowitz,who has been monitoring public opinion on the subject of climate change in the States. He has observed a ” sea change” in
American attitudes and a rising sense of immediacy and urgency around the issue in the past five years.
In the Presidential elections some 75 per cent said that a candidate’s position on this issue would be extremely or very important in deciding their vote, with16 per cent saying it was extremely important and a further 24 per cent saying “very important”.
There has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of people since 2004 who think climate change is already having dangerous impacts on people around the would or will in the next ten years. In 2007 some 62 per cent of Americans thought life on earth will continue without major disruptions only if we take immediate action to mitigate climate change.
Seventy-two per cent of Americans would support a subsidy funded by a higher property tax to encourage people to insulate their homes and take other measures to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. A majority (68 per cent) of Americans also support changes in zoning rules in planning to cut down urban sprawl and the commuting that goes with it. Sixty-five per cent would support zoning rules to encourage mixed neighbourhoods with industries , shopping and schools etc. to cut down travelling.
Obviously, the financial crisis may now have taken some steam out this, but the picture of American views presented by these surveys is very different to the recent Press coverage here. Interestingly Leiserowitz has also concluded that films are a
powerful way of getting the climate change message across: strong visual images and powerful emotional content playing on the more primitive aspects of human psychology, together with the suspension of disbelief that goes with film, can enable certain messages can “fly in under the radar” of our rational critical faculties. It all sounds rather creepy and Owellian, but people were apparently significantly more willing to see climate change as a risk and support strong policies to fight it, and even change their own behaviour, after seeing a film like The Day after Tomorrow. SUCH A PITY ABOUT THE SCIENCE!!!!