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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Britons Would Swap Planes for Trains
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in Britain would be willing to change their travel habits in order to help the environment, according to a poll by YouGov published in the Daily Telegraph. 58 per cent of respondents would travel by train instead of by plane if the price was the same, even if it took longer.
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. As a member of the European Union (EU), Britain ratified the protocol in May 2002.
In October 2006, British prime minister Tony Blair called for "bold and decisive action" on global warming, declaring, "It is not in doubt that, if the science is right, the consequences for our planet are literally disastrous. Unless we act now, these consequences will be irreversible."
Earlier this month, Buckingham Palace released a statement saying Britain's royal family is working towards becoming a "model of green efficiency." The statement read: "We are talking to a number of organizations about our carbon footprint to reduce the royal household's impact on the environment. It is now part and parcel of the management policy here."
The royal family's consultants are expected to recommend limiting the use of helicopters, chartered planes and trains in order to decrease carbon emissions.
Polling Data
If it was possible and there was no difference in price, would you be prepared to travel by train instead of plane to help the environment, even if it took much longer?
Yes, I would | 58% |
No, I wouldn't | 29% |
Don't know | 12% |
Source: YouGov / Daily Telegraph
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,218 British adults, conducted from Apr. 4 to Apr. 6, 2007. No margin of error was provided.