The latest version of a decade long report has revealed that most Australians believe climate change is already occurring and fear its impact on crop production and food supply as a result.
The latest Climate of the Nation report shows Australians are increasingly worried about the impacts of climate change, from extreme weather events, animal and plant extinctions, as well as water shortages in cities.
Of the 1960 people surveyed, general concern about climate change was highest among 18 to 34-year-olds, with more than 81 per cent of respondents saying climate change worried them, compared to 67 per cent of those aged 55 and over.
Nearly half of those surveyed fear more heatwaves, while slightly less (42 per cent) are concerned about more extreme weather such as flood and cyclones.
T
he annual Climate of the Nation benchmark report has tracked Australian attitudes on climate change for more than a decade.
This is the second Climate of the Nation report produced by The Australia Institute, after being produced for a decade by the Climate Institute.
Climate action-focused independent member of the Australian parliament Zali Steggall, who toppled former Prime Minister Tony Abbott at this year’s federal election, officially launched the report in the national capital, Canberra, today.
“Australians are rightly concerned about more extreme heatwaves, droughts and bushfires and they want the Liberal-National federal government to show leadership on climate change and do more to prepare for the impacts that are already locked in,” she said.
The majority of Australians blame increasing energy costs on “excessive profit margins” of energy companies, and 64 per cent think we should be aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.
However, they are still divided on how to get there, with solar energy topping the list of preferred energy sources, wind and hydro also featured prominently, but nuclear power continuing to polarise opinion.
The Australia Institute’s annual Climate of the Nation report shows Australians are becoming increasingly unhappy over a range of climate and energy issues.
The overall acceptance by Australians that climate change is happening is on par with 2016, the equal highest rate since the surveys began in 2007.
However, attitudes to climate change are divided along gender lines, with women more likely than men to think climate change is happening.
Nearly 80 per cent of women said they are either “very concerned” or “fairly concerned” about climate change, versus 70 per cent of men.
Issues of food security, species extinction, water shortages, heatwaves and melting of the polar ice caps dominated fears.
The majority of Australians want the conservative Liberal-National federal government to do more to meet the United Nations sponsored Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to report co-author Richie Merzian.
“The majority of Australians reckon that Australia is not doing enough, is not doing its fair share, and needs to bring more to the table,” he said.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is hosting countries for the 2019 Climate Action Summit this month.
The aim of the meeting is to “boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change”.
While 22 per cent of people put nuclear in their top three preferred options, more than a third of respondents ranked it last, behind coal, gas and geothermal.
Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed wanted to see an orderly phase out of coal-fired power, and a majority blamed excessive profit-making by private energy companies for increasing energy prices.
More than 40 per cent said federal government energy policy uncertainty was also a factor in high prices, while 32 per cent blamed the cost of renewable energy.
At the same time, Australians greatly overestimated the contribution of coal to our economy.
“The respondents perceived coal employment as being 23 times larger than it actually is,” Mr Merzian said.
“They also reckon the income that coal mining brings in is six times larger than it actually is, in terms of the wealth that it generates for this country.”
More than 40 per cent of respondents said they believe increased droughts and flooding are a result of climate change, up from 32 per cent the previous year.
The authors put that down to a perceived high incidence of extreme weather events over the past year, including the continuing drought throughout parts of Queensland and New South Wales, and the deteriorating condition of the Murray-Darling.
A majority of respondents said they would be willing to use less electricity during high demand periods if they were paid to do so.
And a majority disagreed with the sentiment that Australia should not act on climate change until major emitters like the US and China did.
Although Australia’s local emissions contribute around 1.4 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, it’s estimated that we are the third highest exporter of carbon dioxide in fossil fuel, according to Mr Merzian.
“More and more people are adding the pieces together and seeing Australia for the role it really has as a major contributor to the climate crisis,” he said.
“Therefore it should be playing a major role in reducing global emissions.”
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