Most ready for 'green sacrifices'

**Ironduke** · 11-04-2007, 22:07 PM

Quote:

Most ready for 'green sacrifices'

Most people say they are ready to make personal sacrifices to address climate change, according to a BBC poll of 22,000 people in 21 countries.

Four out of five people say they are prepared to change their lifestyle, even in the US and China, the world's two biggest emitters of carbon dioxide.

Three quarters would back energy taxes if the cash was used to find new sources of energy, or boost efficiency.

Chinese respondents were more positive than any others about energy taxes.

BBC environment reporter Matt McGrath says the poll suggests that in many countries people are more willing than their governments to contemplate serious changes to their lifestyles to combat global warming.

According to the survey, 83% of respondents throughout the world agree that individuals will definitely or probably have to make lifestyle changes to reduce the amount of climate-changing gases they produce.

The poll also suggests that a large majority of people in each individual country surveyed believe that sacrifices will be necessary.

In almost all countries in Europe, and in the US, most people believe the cost of fuels that contribute most to climate change will have to increase.

The only exceptions were Italy and Russia, where significant numbers of people believe that increases in the price of energy will not be necessary.

The pollsters suggest that high energy costs in both countries could have put people off the idea of increasing prices even further.

Attitudes to rising energy costs in Asia and Africa are more varied.

In China and Indonesia, large majorities believe that higher energy costs are necessary, but in South Korea and India majorities in favour of higher prices are much smaller.

And in Nigeria, 52% of the respondents did not believe that higher fuel costs would be necessary to combat global warming.

Green China?

Opinions are divided on proposals to increase taxes on fossil fuels. \

Worldwide, only 50% are in favour and 44% are opposed.

The Chinese are the most enthusiastic when it comes to energy taxes: 85% of those polled are in favour, 24 percentage points more than in the next most-supportive countries.

In the rest of the world, only narrow majorities - and sometimes minorities - favour higher energy taxes.

However, when people opposed to energy taxes are asked whether their opinion would change if the revenue from the taxes were used to increase energy efficiency or develop cleaner fuel, large majorities are produced in every country in favour of higher taxes.

And when those opposed to higher taxes are asked whether they would change their minds if other taxes were reduced in order to keep their total tax burden the same, the survey again discovered large majorities in every country in favour of higher green taxes.

"This poll clearly shows that people are much more ready to endure their share of the burden than most politicians grant," said Doug Miller, director of Globescan, the polling company that conducted the survey on behalf of the BBC.

BBC NEWS | Special Reports | Most ready for 'green sacrifices'

wkllaw · 11-05-2007, 17:07 PM

I guess the chinese people must want this the most because they are seeing the environmental degradation in their daily lives and the immense environmental problems in China.

dalem · 11-05-2007, 17:36 PM

Bah. 4 out of 5 wussies.

-dale

gunnut · 11-08-2007, 05:33 AM

HA! All talk.

We've been making sacrafices for 30 years on our clean burning gasoline. Do people appreciate the clean air outside (even in LA's worst day)? No. They complain about how expensive gasoline is.

I'm serious about our clean air. The sunshine looks different in China when I was there, 5 cities in 12 days. It was what I call a "lazy" sunshine. Kind of dim yellow light. We have sunshine so bright that can blind people not wearing sunglasses.

Trooth · 11-08-2007, 13:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunnut

HA! All talk.

We've been making sacrafices for 30 years on our clean burning gasoline. Do people appreciate the clean air outside (even in LA's worst day)? No. They complain about how expensive gasoline is.

I'm serious about our clean air. The sunshine looks different in China when I was there, 5 cities in 12 days. It was what I call a "lazy" sunshine. Kind of dim yellow light. We have sunshine so bright that can blind people not wearing sunglasses.

Exactly in the west we have been through the smogs that the developing countries look like they aren't going to leap but are going to have to go through.

Until the chinese travel elsewhere they might not realise there is a problem though. I rememeber waking up one morning in New York and the breakfast TV was showing me the "wonderful view through the mist of the manhatten skyline." It was a nice view, but the mist shouldn't have been brown.

Most people in the west now just look at waste and think - well that is a waste and we now want to (and have the tools available to hand) to do something about it.

Not quite smog related, but is China on lead free petrol as the west largely is?

brokensickle · 11-13-2007, 17:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironduke

BBC NEWS | Special Reports | Most ready for 'green sacrifices'

Although I do not believe that global warming is man generated, I do believe in doing as much as I can to keep the earth clean. I've been making green "sacrifices" for 37 years. Taking care of the planet is not a new thing with me.

It chaps my hide that Rev. Al uses it to buy votes while destroying the economy, while achieving absolutely nothing but to waste our time and tax dollars.

Ivan

gunnut · 11-13-2007, 17:33 PM

Critics call Rev. Al's "carbon credit" scheme an AA program that you pay other people to attend for you while you continue to drink as much as you can.

Dwarven Pirate · 11-13-2007, 23:41 PM

Reverend Al Sharpton? Is he promoting environmentalism?

gunnut · 11-14-2007, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwarven Pirate

Reverend Al Sharpton? Is he promoting environmentalism?

No. Rev. Al Gore of the Global Warming Cult. The high priest of the Church of Environmentalism. Rider of private jet. Owner of 4 mansions. User of $30k worth of energy for his residence in 2006. Maker of An Inconvenient Truth. Winner of Nobel Peace Prize, a feat unmatched even by Mahatma Gandhi. Did I forget anything?

glyn · 11-14-2007, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunnut

No. Rev. Al Gore of the Global Warming Cult. The high priest of the Church of Environmentalism. Rider of private jet. Owner of 4 mansions. User of $30k worth of energy for his residence in 2006. Maker of An Inconvenient Truth. Winner of Nobel Peace Prize, a feat unmatched even by Mahatma Gandhi. Did I forget anything?

Everything you have stated is true. Unfortunately, nothing is logical. We live in a surreal world.

11-05-2007, 17:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
wkllaw Contributor Join Date: 03-07-07 Location: New York City or Hainan, China Posts: 579 Country:	I guess the chinese people must want this the most because they are seeing the environmental degradation in their daily lives and the immense environmental problems in China. __________________ Those who can't change become extinct. Last edited by wkllaw : 11-05-2007 at 18:09 PM.

11-08-2007, 05:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
gunnut *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 01-27-06 Location: DPRK, Democratik People's Republik of Kalifornia Posts: 9,365 Country:	HA! All talk. We've been making sacrafices for 30 years on our clean burning gasoline. Do people appreciate the clean air outside (even in LA's worst day)? No. They complain about how expensive gasoline is. I'm serious about our clean air. The sunshine looks different in China when I was there, 5 cities in 12 days. It was what I call a "lazy" sunshine. Kind of dim yellow light. We have sunshine so bright that can blind people not wearing sunglasses. __________________ "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

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11-05-2007, 17:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
dalem Lord High Hullabalooster *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 11-23-04 Location: Columbia Heights, MN Posts: 8,323 Country:	Bah. 4 out of 5 wussies. -dale

11-13-2007, 17:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
gunnut *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 01-27-06 Location: DPRK, Democratik People's Republik of Kalifornia Posts: 9,365 Country:	Critics call Rev. Al's "carbon credit" scheme an AA program that you pay other people to attend for you while you continue to drink as much as you can.

11-13-2007, 23:41 PM	#8 (permalink)
Dwarven Pirate Contributor Join Date: 08-20-07 Posts: 325	Reverend Al Sharpton? Is he promoting environmentalism?

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