(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Few people in the United States and Ukraine believe climate change is particularly menacing, according to a poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org. 46 per cent of Americans and 33 per cent of Ukrainians think global warming is a critical threat.

In six of the nations surveyed—Mexico, Australia, South Korea, Iran, Israel and India—at least half of all respondents express significant concerns about climate change. In Armenia and China, only 47 per cent of respondents concur.

In 1998, several countries agreed to the Kyoto Protocol, a proposed amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The agreement commits nations to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The U.S. signed the protocol but has not ratified it.

On Mar. 9 during a visit to Brazil, U.S. president George W. Bush announced a partnership with Brazil to promote the production of ethanol as an alternative to oil. The South American country produces 70 per cent of the world's ethanol, an environmentally-friendly bio-fuel.

Bush explained his rationale, saying, "When you're growing your way out of dependence on oil, you're dependent upon people who work the land. The distribution of wealth, the distribution of opportunity to farmers, particularly the smaller farmers in our respective countries, will enable the economy to be more on a firm foundation."

Polling Data

Below is a list of possible threats to the vital interest of (your country) in the next 10 years. For each one, please select whether you see this as a critical threat, an important but not critical threat, or not an important threat at all.
(Assessment of global warming as "a critical threat")

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