Cooling detected on global warming fears

as posted here

Rowan Callick, Asia-Pacific editor | October 13, 2009

Article from: The Australian
AUSTRALIANS' anxiety about climate change is falling substantially, even as the issue dominates political debate in Canberra.

The latest Lowy Institute poll shows that tackling climate change is viewed as only the seventh-most important of 10 foreign policy goals, and global warming the fourth of a dozen "threats to Australia's vital interests", just a point or two above other threats.

In 2007, tackling climate change was perceived as the joint top foreign policy goal, together with protecting the jobs of Australian workers.

In 2007, 75 per cent of those surveyed said climate change was a very important issue. Last year, this fell to 66 per cent, and this year to 56 per cent.

Global warming was viewed as "a critical threat" by 68 per cent in 2007, 66 per cent last year and 52 per cent this year.

The Lowy Institute's new director, Michael Wesley, said Australians seemed to be moderating their views on climate change just as world leaders were preparing for the summit on the issue in Copenhagen.

"When Australians were presented with a choice among three positions for dealing with global warming, the most popular was still for the most pro-climate position -- that we should begin taking steps now, even if this involves significant costs," he said. "But support for

this option was down 12 percentage points since 2008, and 20 points since 2006."

Backing for this position has fallen, for the first time, below half, to 48 per cent. Two years ago, Lowy director Allan Gyngell -- who has recently become head of the Office of National Assessments, which advises the Prime Minister -- said in presenting the poll results: "Of all goals, international and domestic, tackling climate change is as important to Australians as improving standards in education, and more so than improving the delivery of healthcare, ensuring economic growth and fighting international terrorism."

It now appears as if in that year such concerns reached their peak, and they have been steadily falling.

The latest poll results came from 1003 telephone interviews conducted from July 13-25 among Australians deemed to be nationally representative of those more than 18 years old.

The full details of this year's poll will be released today.

as posted here