Canada’s climate paradox

Re.Climate has recently published a summary of public opinion research for communicators on what Canadians really think about climate change. A newsletter by Chris Hatch for the National Observer discusses that Canadians “are conflicted about our own conflicts.” Pollsters show that just 13% of Canadians rank climate and the environment among the top three issues, less than half as many as three years ago. “The disconnects within public opinion are also striking. Concern is going up, while priority is down. Very few of us rank climate as a high priority right now. But a whopping 80 per cent of Canadians say they are concerned, a large jump from two years ago. . . . One major conclusion is that there is a double track within the minds of Canadians. Canadians overwhelmingly want clean energy to power our lives and future, but we also think fossil fuels are necessary to keep the economy going.” Hatch goes on: “ . . . it’s not just about keeping the economy chugging. A big majority have internalized the argument that we can build new fossil infrastructure and still cut climate pollution. One reason has to be that only half of Canadians correctly finger fossil fuel burning, carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases as the primary cause of climate change — an extraordinary achievement by those who work to cloud public understanding, especially considering that pipelines and fossil fuelled brawls have been a fulcrum of public debate for decades. . .  While 80 per cent of the public count themselves concerned, only half grasp the scientific consensus that climate change is driven by human activities.” They don’t make the link with fossil fuels? They don’t think climate change is driven by human activities?

It’s definitely time to read their report, What Do Canadians Really Think About Climate Change?

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