Belief in climate change eroding
Majority still believe human activity is the cause
TORONTO May 14th,
2015 - In a
random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 1286 Canadian
adults, close to 8-in-10 believe the earth’s climate is changing (78%), while
just one sixth do not (15%). Very few do not have an opinion (7%). While this
is a substantial majority, the last time we polled this subject, belief in
climate change was higher than 8-in-10 (July, 2013 - 84%). Belief the climate
is not changing is common to the least wealthy (20%), in Ontario and the
prairies (18% each) and among Conservatives (26%). Those in Quebec and BC are
least likely to say the climate is not changing (11% and 10%, respectively).
Human activities cause climate change - majority
Among those who agree the climate is changing, fully three
quarters blame it on human activities (72%), and this is equal to more than
half the population as a whole (56%). Just one sixth of Canadians (15%) and one
fifth of those who agree the climate is changing say it is a natural phenomenon
(20%). Those who believe climate change is a natural phenomenon tend to be
older, less wealthy and less educated, and Conservative voters in the prairies
and Alberta.
Two thirds disagree federal government doing enough to combat
climate change
Two thirds of Canadian adults disagree the federal
government is doing its bit to combat climate change (68%), while fewer than a
quarter think enough is being done (22%). One tenth don’t share an opinion
(10%). More than one half of Conservatives are happy with their government’s
efforts (55%), but just one tenth of Liberals and New Democrats are (9% each).
"This is one of those issues
which should cut across political allegiances but doesn’t anymore in our
increasingly polarized society. Liberal and New Democrats agree the climate is
changing and man is the cause and Conservatives don’t. Why the proportion
agreeing climate change is occurring has shrunk is interesting; it may be due
to increased discussion of carbon pricing, or the effect of more junk science
leaking over the border from the south," said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne
Bozinoff.
Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and
founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416)
960-9603.
