One in three say climate change is exaggerated

 

 

By Kate Loveys

Last updated at 8:52 AM on 24th February 2010

 

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The public are becoming increasingly sceptical about the threat of climate change, it emerged last night.

 

Months of questions over flaws in climate change science and a lack of government action have led to a sharp decline in the number of British adults who believe it is a problem.

The proportion of people, questioned in a survey by Ipsos Mori, who believe climate change is 'definitely' a reality has dropped from 44 per cent to 31 per cent in the last year.

 

Myth or fact: Climate change scientists have said the glaciers are melting but their evidence has been disputed

 

The poll of 1,000 people also found a significant drop in those who said climate change was caused by human activities. Last year, one in three people believed it was caused by people. Now just one in five hold this conviction.

Coupled with higher prices for energy and other goods, this decrease will make it harder to persuade the public to support action to curb the problem.

Ed Miliband recently encouraged people not to believe climate change sceptics

 

Edward Langley, Ipsos Mori's head of environment research, said the results suggest that it will be harder to get individuals to reduce their carbon emissions.

'It's going to have a hard sell to make people make changes to their behaviour unless there's something else in it form them - such as energy efficiency measures saving money on fuel bills.

'It's a hard sell to tell people not to fly off for weekends away if you're not wholly convinced by the links. Even people who are convinced still do it.' he told the Guardian.

The poll follows two months of allegations which claimed climate scientis might have manipulated and withheld data.

Ed Miliband, the energy and climate change secretary, recently called on the public to ignore the 'siren voices' of climate sceptics.

He last night said the Ipsos Mori poll illustrated the scale of the task of building public support for action.

The latest poll found 31 per cent of British adults thought climate change was definitely happening, 29 per cent agreed 'it's looking like it could be a reality' and another 31 per cent said the problem was exaggerated, a category that has risen by 50 per cent compared with a year ago.

 

However, only 6 per cent said climate change was not happening at all and 3 per cent said they did not know.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1253326/Just-31-British-adults-believe-climate-change-definitely-reality-following-months-public-scepticism.html#ixzz0gTEec030

People are morons, we already know this, it isn't the majority and it's a fucking random poll of a small selection of people

 

Polls annoy me so much when people try to use them as general facts.

People are morons, we already know this, it isn't the majority and it's a fucking random poll of a small selection of people

 

Polls annoy me so much when people try to use them as general facts.

 

I really do think you need to get some anger management before you explode!:laugh3:

I guess "annoy me so much" was a bad choice of words, but how can you even possibly suspect to know how "angry" I am at any given point?

 

I was just saying polls are bullshit.

I guess "annoy me so much" was a bad choice of words, but how can you even possibly suspect to know how "angry" I am at any given point?

 

I was just saying polls are bullshit.

 

Nah, I reckon it was a Freudian slip, and you really are annoyed. Good try, though!:lol:

Polls do annoy me, so it's hardly freudian now is it?

 

I didn't realise showing emotion means you need therapy though, do you just want a load of people who sit emotionless but burst into hysterics when a pun is made?

 

Climate Change IS HAPPENING!!!! :veryangry2::veryangry2:

1,000 people does not constitute a poll.

People are morons

 

That was almost literally what I thought when I read this and about to reply.

That was almost literally what I thought when I read this and about to reply.

 

No surprise there, as I reckon the two of you might have been separated at birth!:laugh3:

Thats hilarious Mark! Hahahaha! It warranted a laughey smiley! Yes! You're laughing at your own 'joke'! Hahaha!

 

But seriously, opinion polls mean fuck all to me. A lot of people are too stupid for their opinion to be trusted, and there's probably a lot more who get nervous and make off-the-cuff opinions when it comes to a survey, especially if the question is posed a certain way.