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A new global poll finds that most people are “very” or “extremely” concerned about the state of the natural world.
An online poll conducted earlier this year found that about 70% of 22,000 people believe that human activity is “destroying the planet.”Tipping pointThe disappearance of the Amazon rainforest, Atlantic Ocean CurrentThe same number of respondents said the world needs to reduce carbon emissions within the next decade.
Just under 40% of respondents said they believe technological advances can solve environmental problems.
of Global Commons SurveyThe study, conducted for two associations of “economic thinkers” and scientists, Earth4All and the Global Commons Alliance, polled people in 22 countries, including low-, middle- and high-income countries. The survey’s aim was to gauge public opinion on “social change” and “planet stewardship”.
The findings, released Thursday, highlight how people living in diverse contexts appear to share common concerns about ecosystem health and the environmental challenges that future generations will inherit.
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But there were also regional differences: people living in emerging economies such as Kenya and India see themselves as more exposed to environmental and climate shocks such as droughts, floods and extreme weather. While this group showed higher levels of concern about the environment, 59% of all respondents said they were “very” or “extremely” worried about “the current state of nature,” and a further 29% said they were at least somewhat worried.
Americans are among the world’s largest majorities, but a closer look at the Ipsos survey paints a more complicated picture.
Roughly one in two Americans say they have little or no exposure to environmental or climate change risks. Empirical evidence It shows how climate change is affecting nearly every region of the United States. A warming planet is intensifying coastal hurricanes, driving drought to farms in Mid-America, and causing wildfires that threaten homes and air quality across the country. And climate shocks are Price Increase Food and consumer goods such as chocolate and olive oil.
Most Americans don’t think they’re responsible for global environmental problems: Only 15% of upper- and middle-income Americans say they’re responsible for climate change and the destruction of nature. Instead, they see corporations and governments in wealthy countries as mostly to blame.
Jeff Dabelko, a professor at Ohio University and an expert on environmental policy and security, said the survey responses suggest that at least half of Americans may not feel they have any responsibility when it comes to addressing global environmental issues.
To translate environmental concerns into real change, people need to believe they have something to do with it, Dabelko said. “It worries me that Americans don’t see that connection.”
Fossil fuel companies I’ve been campaigning for a long time Individual actions play a role in shaping public opinion to hold our nation’s industries responsible for ecological damage and climate change. Highest per capita consumption rate in the world.
The richest 10% of the world half Global carbon emissions, ecosystem destruction, and associated social impacts. For example, U.S. consumption of gold, tropical hardwoods such as mahogany and cedar, and other commodities is Linked Examples include the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and attacks on indigenous people defending their territories from extractive activities.
America is one of the richest countries in the world 38 percent of the world’s billionaires (The Largest Percentage) But you don’t have to be a billionaire to be among the richest in the world: Americans without children who make more than $60,000 a year after taxes, and families of three with after-tax incomes of more than $130,000, are among the richest in the world. The richest 1 percent of the world’s population.
To meet global climate targets, the world’s richest people would need to reduce their personal emissions by at least A factor of 30Higher-income Americans’ emissions are largely due to lifestyle choices such as living in larger homes, flying more frequently, choosing to drive instead of taking public transportation, and spending more on fast fashion and other consumer goods.
