Canadians care about climate change, but are hesitant to take action: poll

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – We’re seeing a slow shift in attitudes around climate change — but when it comes to action, it seems many Canadians are a little hesitant.

A new Innovative Research Group poll finds most Canadians are concerned about the effects of climate change but it still ranks well down the list of things we consider most important to us.

In the poll, 37 per cent of people say they’re “very concerned,” while 44 per cent are “somewhat concerned” — for a total of 81 per cent.

“The climate on challenge on climate change is that people are aware of it [and] they believe it matters. But the problem is that they don’t think it matters more than other things,” says the group’s Greg Lyle.

“When we tested it against a series of other priorities — a list of 10 or so items — it was second to last.”

It was actually tied with education, with six per cent of people calling either their chief worry. Things like jobs, health care, and a more transparent and accountable government all got more sympathy.

Almost six in 10 Canadians believe climate change is definitely occurring and another 26 per cent say it is probably occurring.

The more people say they know about the issue, the more certain they are that climate change is definitely happening.

The poll also finds the number of Canadians with a detailed understanding of climate change has remained the same in the last eight years at 32 per cent, while the percentage of those who know the term but not much else about it has more than doubled to 13 per cent.

It seems Canadians like the new federal government’s fresh initiative on climate change and they support provincial government policies. However, once the possibility of higher taxes comes into the picture, the issue becomes more challenging.

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