July 9: While global leaders failed to manage a consensus on ‘50 by 50’ target at the just concluded G-8 Summit and deciding to go in for long term goal for reduction in greenhouse gases, a latest survey has brought out good news in terms of global awakening of individual conscience against climate change.
The latest survey has revealed that attitude towards climate change has shifted drastically in individual countries, including India and the United States, which had fared poorly in the last such survey on climate change.
India has added 22 per cent more people to 2007’s figure of 59 per cent total population, that is concerned about climate change.
The US, which had the lowest percentage of population (57 per cent) concerned about climate change till 2007, has now the highest number of people (80 per cent) concerned about effects of climate change.
The United States still is at the top in the list of countries considered as biggest polluters by global population.
Even US citizens believe that their country is the biggest polluter and emitter of greenhouse gases.
This second global survey, conducted by BBC and a global market research company has revealed that individual efforts to curb global warming have also increased with recycled products, reduction in water consumption and use of energy efficiency devices much in demand.
The survey took into consideration areas like levels of concern among individuals, what efforts have they put in to bring down effects of climate change and who do they think is responsible for global warming.
Increase in levels of concern shows that people now believe that it is only through individual efforts that effects of global warming can be brought down. The largest increase in level of concern has also been seen in Denmark (up by 27 per cent), France (up by 18 per cent), Poland (up by 23 per cent), Russia (up by 33 per cent) and UK (up by 15 per cent).
Spain and Brazil top the survey, with 88 per cent and 86 per cent of population worried in these countries respectively.
Respondents to this survey also ranked areas like behaviour of ordinary citizens (45 per cent), technical advances (20 per cent) and government imposed restrictions and incentives at 29 per cent, as reasons which can bring down global warming effects.
The survey has shown reasonable increase in people across the globe now believing that the main danger of climate change is erratic weather conditions. As a result, individual efforts have increased with 81 per cent of global population now saving energy (76 per cent in 2007), recycled waste going up to 70 per cent from 65 per cent, reduction in water consumption up by 69 per cent from 65 per cent and 59 per cent global population using energy-efficient devices as compared to 53 per cent till 2007.
