This article initially appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, impartial information group that covers local weather, vitality and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their publication right here.
Most persons are “very” or “extremely” involved concerning the state of the pure world, a brand new international public opinion survey reveals.
Roughly 70 % of twenty-two,000 individuals polled on-line earlier this yr agreed that human actions had been pushing the Earth previous “tipping points,” thresholds past which nature can not get better, like lack of the Amazon rainforest or collapse of the Atlantic Ocean’s currents. The similar variety of respondents mentioned the world wants to scale back carbon emissions inside the subsequent decade.
Just below 40 % of respondents mentioned technological advances can remedy environmental challenges.
The Global Commons survey, carried out for 2 collectives of “economic thinkers” and scientists often known as Earth4All and the Global Commons Alliance, polled individuals throughout 22 international locations, together with low-, middle- and high-income nations. The survey’s acknowledged purpose was to assess public opinion about “societal transformations” and “planetary stewardship.”
The outcomes, launched Thursday, spotlight that folks dwelling below various circumstances appear to share worries concerning the well being of ecosystems and the environmental issues future generations will inherit.
Explore the newest information about what’s at stake for the local weather throughout this election season.
But there have been some regional variations. People dwelling in rising economies, together with Kenya and India, perceived themselves to be extra uncovered to environmental and local weather shocks, like drought, flooding, and excessive climate. That group expressed increased ranges of concern concerning the environment, although 59 % of all respondents mentioned they’re “very” or “extremely” apprehensive about “the state of nature today,” and one other 29 % are a minimum of considerably involved.
Americans are included within the international majority, however a extra advanced image emerged within the particulars of the survey, carried out by Ipsos.
Roughly one in two Americans mentioned they don’t seem to be very or by no means uncovered to environmental and local weather change dangers. Those perceptions distinction sharply with empirical proof displaying that local weather change is having an influence in practically each nook of the United States. A warming planet has intensified hurricanes battering coasts, droughts putting center American farms, and wildfires threatening houses and air high quality throughout the nation. And local weather shocks are driving up costs of some meals, like chocolate and olive oil, and shopper items.
Americans additionally largely consider they don’t bear accountability for international environmental issues. Only about 15 % of US respondents mentioned that high- and middle-income Americans share accountability for local weather change and pure destruction. Instead, they attribute probably the most blame to companies and governments of rich international locations.
Those survey responses counsel that a minimum of half of Americans might not really feel they’ve any pores and skin within the recreation when it comes to addressing international environmental issues, in accordance to Geoff Dabelko, a professor at Ohio University and skilled in environmental coverage and safety.
Translating concern concerning the environment to precise change requires individuals to consider they’ve one thing at stake, Dabelko mentioned. “It’s troubling that Americans aren’t making that connection.”
While fossil gasoline firms have lengthy campaigned to form public notion in a approach that absolves their business of fault for ecosystem destruction and local weather change, particular person habits does play a task. Americans have among the highest per-capita consumption charges on this planet.
The world’s wealthiest 10 % are answerable for practically half the world’s carbon emissions, together with ecosystem destruction and associated social impacts. For occasion, American consumption of gold, tropical hardwoods like mahogany and cedar and different commodities has been linked to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and assaults on Indigenous individuals defending their territories from extractive actions.
The United States is without doubt one of the world’s wealthiest international locations and residential to 38 % of the world’s millionaires (the biggest share). But an individual doesn’t want to be a millionaire to match inside the cohort of the world’s wealthiest. Americans with out kids incomes greater than $60,000 a yr after tax, and households of three with an after-tax family earnings above $130,000, are within the richest 1 % of the world’s inhabitants.
United Nations emissions hole experiences have mentioned that to attain international local weather targets, the world’s wealthiest individuals should lower their private emissions by a minimum of an element of 30. High-income Americans’ emissions footprint is essentially a consequence of life-style decisions like dwelling in massive houses, flying typically, choosing private autos over public transportation, and conspicuous consumption of quick trend and different shopper items.