Dangers of global warming fail to interest Canadians
Two government polls
Thursday, December 30, 1999
Sheldon Alberts
National Post
OTTAWA - Canadians remain profoundly apathetic about the dangers of global warming two years after the federal government signed an international treaty that could make greenhouse gas reduction the biggest -- and most expensive -- environmental initiative of the new millennium, according to extensive government polling and research.
Two major public opinion firms hired last year by Environment Canada warned the government that global warming does not even rank among the top 10 environmental issues, and that Canadians are not yet motivated to make the lifestyle changes necessary to help the country reach its ambitious emissions targets.
One poll of 2,200 people across the country, conducted earlier this year by Pollara Research, reported that only 1% of those surveyed named global warming as the most important environmental issue facing Canada.
The issue ranked 12th, behind concerns as wide-ranging as air and water pollution, deforestation, ozone layer depletion, toxic waste and wildlife protection.
A second internal research paper, produced by Ottawa-based Earnscliffe Communications, reports that "climate change does not emerge as a top-of-mind issue" among Canadians and that the public "did not seem really concerned" about meeting emissions reduction targets.
The research papers were obtained by the National Post under the Access to Information Act.
They were conducted as the federal government was in the midst of planning strategies to implement the 1997 Kyoto treaty on greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
The far-reaching treaty, which Ottawa has signed but not yet ratified, commits Canada to reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases to 6% below 1990 levels and to reach the target between 2008 and 2012. Canada's emissions are already 13% above 1990 levels.
A cabinet document leaked earlier this month to Southam News proposed a $1.63-billion plan to encourage industry and consumers to reduce their emissions and noted that implementing the Kyoto treaty will be "the most profound economic challenge since the Second World War."
Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are produced by refining and burning fossil fuels like oil, natural gas, coal and gasoline -- the very energy sources that drive industry and are used to heat homes, power automobiles and produce electricity.
But given the amount of emissions reduction required over the next decade, the government research shows Canadians are not yet ready to meet the challenge, in large part because they are barely aware of the issue and do not feel they have any power to make a difference.
The Pollara survey, conducted last April, found that environmental concerns, in general, ranked far behind health care, unemployment, national unity and taxes as the leading issues of concern among Canadians. Only 4% cited the environment as the most important national issue.
When prompted, 88% of those surveyed agreed Canada should live up to its international environmental commitments. Among those who had heard about the global warming problem, 63% said they were concerned about the issue.
But 40% of Canadians "feel powerless" to do anything about the issue and do not believe they can personally have an impact.
The survey is considered accurate within three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The Earnscliffe research, meanwhile, found that "Kyoto, and Canadian undertakings internationally, are not really known, and are not all that important to the public.
"Within the environmental basket of issues, climate change is not high on a list of spontaneous, top of mind public priorities," the research paper concludes. "Another commonly held sentiment ... was a believe that the issue was beyond their grasp, too distant from their everyday lives. In addition, many felt that the issue is not really theirs to address."
It has been estimated that Canada must improve its energy efficiency by 4% in each of the next 10 years in order to meet its Kyoto targets.