In a poll from the Pew Research Center, global warming came in last amongst the public's priorities. I've always felt global warming was being hyped more in the media than was truly on the minds of most people. This is not an argument about the science behind global warming (or climate change as it is now called), rather it is an affirmation of people's priorities. Global warming, the environment, concern for others depends greatly on one's own particular plight. If you have a job, have a home, food and a some standard of living then you start to worry about issues beyond your own survival. However, the economy and world affairs are keeping people focused squarely on survival issues and only the affluent or activists make global warming a priority. Think about it, how many people do you hear in the grocery store, local bar, sporting event, bookstore, restaurant, or coffee house arguing about the effects of global warming? If an affluent nation such as the US doesn't have a large population discussing global warming, what is the likelihood that in nations such as Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti, in this hemisphere or Pakistan, Vietnam, or Laos in the Eastern Hemisphere have global warming as a priority? I would wager these countries are also focused on survival issues.
Public's Priorities for 2010: Economy, Jobs, Terrorism: Summary of Findings - Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
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“If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.”--Benjamin Franklin
3 comments:
thanks for the link. There's all sorts of nuggets in this survey.
The Dems are more concerned about lobbyists when Reps are in power & Reps are more concerned about lobbyists when Dems are in power...
who would have thought... ?
Nobody seems to be able to get their act together. Dems had the House and the Whitehouse and Senate. Now they are down by two governors and one Senator. Dodd is bailing, I think Reid is vulnerable and Obama is making noises like he doesn't expect to get re-elected. The question is, who are the Reps going put on front street?
It's true that poorer nations are less concerned with environmental issues. However, due to their lack of wealth, they also have less potential to be big polluters.
Even in the US, poorer people tend to use more public transportation, walk to get around, heat their houses less, etc. Most of the major pollution comes from people who have reached a certain threshold of personal wealth.
If you look at Europe, you will see that people there are much more concerned with environmental issues. Some Europeans are quite frustrated that Americans, as the biggest polluters, are so ambivalent about the issue. Then again, our infrastructure (which predates climate science) does not lend itself to a "green" lifestyle, the way European countries' do.
I hope people keep it in the back of their minds, though. Especially since being an energy hog lines the pockets of the likes of Chavez, middle eastern dictators and terrorists...what a combination.
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