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Almost half of New Zealanders are not convinced global
warming is real, a survey suggests.
A survey by The New Zealand Herald has found that
although United Nations experts have grown steadily more
certain about climate change, the public is not so sure.
Almost one in five of 2296 respondents said the concept was a
giant con, and a further 28% said global warming had not been
conclusively proved.
Prime Minister John Key's science adviser, Sir Peter
Gluckman, said the 28% figure was not surprising, as
scientists were not claiming conclusive proof.
He said little in science could be conclusively proven.
But he and the director of Auckland University's School of
Environment, Glenn McGregor, said there was a problem
communicating climate science to the public - and scientists
and the media were equally to blame.
An online survey of the Herald Readers' Panel was conducted
by the Nielsen Company between December 10 and December 17,
as world leaders prepared to meet at the UN climate
conference in Copenhagen.
A total of 38% said global warming was a serious problem that
needed action now, 13% said it was the world's biggest
challenge, and 2% did not know.
A total of 19% - including almost 30% of men aged 45 or older
- thought it was a giant con and a waste of money The
findings are at odds with a telephone survey of 500 people a
few weeks earlier paid for by the Greenhouse Policy Coalition
and carried out by UMR research the week after damaging
emails from an international group of climate scientists were
taken from the University of East Anglia's climate research
unit and leaked on to the internet.
That poll found about eight of every 10 people thought
climate change was happening, although many did not think it
was caused by people.
In March, three-quarters of the respondents to a ShapeNZ
online poll of 2851 people said climate change needed to be
dealt with now or urgently and 64% agreed the time had passed
for doubting whether it was happening.
Some overseas polls, including one carried out for CNN in the
US shortly before the Copenhagen summit, appear to show
belief in global warming has slipped in the past year.
Dr McGregor, whose department at Auckland University includes
climate sceptic Chris de Freitas, said scientists were
increasingly certain climate was changing and the change was
being driven by humans, but news reports tended to focus on
alternative views.
If climat-ologists explained their research processes better,
they might be able to avoid popular criticisms, such as
recent accusations of scientists "fiddling" with climate
records.
"When people don't understand the process, they just pick up
on `oh, they've adjusted the [climate] record'.
That probably creates a lot of mistrust."
Public confidence in climate science was dented last year by
the East Anglia emails showing scientists appearing to fudge
data and seeking to avoid freedom of information requests
from their detractors.
Almost all governments accept the findings of a UN report
which concluded in 2007 that warming of the climate was
"unequivocal" and it was more than 90% likely it was being
caused by human actions.
Sir Peter said climate science was more difficult to explain
than issues such as IVF or genetic modification.
"It is particularly complex ... which leaves room for
confusion."
- The New Zealand Herald
