Environmental Graffiti

A poll carried out between the 14th and 20th June found that 56% thought that scientists were still questioning the validity of carbon emissions being the cause of climate change.

The survey suggested that terrorism, graffiti, crime and dog mess were all of more concern than global warming.

Phil Downing, the poll’s lead researcher said there was more that could be done to encourage people to live “low carbon lifestyles.”

“We are alive to climate change and very few people actually reject out of hand the idea the climate is changing or that humans have had at least some part to play in this,” he added.

“However, a significant number have many doubts about exactly how serious it really is and believe it has been over-hyped.”

One factor, which may explain the results of the poll, is the view that companies are using environmental claims to make money. In the UK, advertisers such as Ariel, Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and McDonald’s have all used environmental claims in order to gain a competitive advantage. This has perhaps led to mistrust and even apathy towards the issue of climate change.

There are of course, other factors at play; among them issues whose origins lie rooted in 2,000 years of history…religion.

It was only last year when there was huge division among US evangelicals as to whether the Bush administration should adopt a more proactive stance on climate change. The Rev James Dobson, host of a radio show with two hundred and twenty million listeners even stated that global warming “is a distraction when families are falling apart and abortion continues as a great evil”.

Clearly this opinion is being thrust into the open and it’s great that issues as important as climate change are being discussed. It is however, worrying that such a large segment of society is apathetic to the greatest threat of our times.