March 21, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in all European Union (EU) countries express concern over climate change, according to the Eurobarometer conducted by TNS Opinion & Social. 57 per cent of respondents in the 27 nations list the phenomenon as their top environmental worry.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in all European Union (EU) countries express concern over climate change, according to the Eurobarometer conducted by TNS Opinion & Social. 57 per cent of respondents in the 27 nations list the phenomenon as their top environmental worry.

Water pollution is second with 42 per cent, followed by air pollution with 40 per cent, and man made disasters such as oil spills or industrial accidents with 39 per cent. At least a quarter of respondents are also worried about depletion of natural resources, the health impact of chemicals used in everyday products, and natural disasters.

The term global warming refers to an increase of the Earth’s average temperature. Some theories say that climate change might be the result of human-generated carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. In 2007, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report which states that global warming has been "very likely"—or 90 per cent certain—caused by humans burning fossil fuels.

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 EU and its members ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2002.

On Mar. 14, EU leaders attended a climate change summit and agreed to have a common legal framework to minimize greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this year. The EU plans to reduce its emissions by 20 per cent by 2020. After chairing the summit, Slovenian prime minister Janez Jansa declared: "We committed ourselves to finishing negotiating on this package by the end of this year and by doing this we made a huge step forward."

Polling Data

From the following list, please pick the five main environmental issues that you are worried about? (Five answers allowed)

Climate change	57%
Water pollution (seas, rivers, lakes and underground sources)	42%
Air pollution	40%
Man made disasters (major oil spills or industrial accidents, etc.)	39%
Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, etc.)	32%
The impact on our health of chemicals used in everyday products	32%
Depletion of natural resources	26%
Growing waste	24%
Loss in biodiversity (extinction of species, loss of wildlife and habitats)	23%
Agricultural pollution (use of pesticides, fertilizers, etc.)	20%
The use of genetically modified organisms in farming	20%
Urban problems (traffic jams, pollution, lack of green spaces, etc.)	15%
Impact of current transport modes (more cars, more motorways, more air traffic, etc.)	12%
Our consumption habits	11%
Noise pollution	8%
None of these	1%

Source: TNS Opinion & Social / Eurobarometer
Methodology: Interviews with 26,730 people, ages 15 and up, in the 27 European Union (EU) members, conducted from Nov. 9 to Dec. 14, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

 

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