COVID Bigger Worry Than Climate Crisis
A new study shows that some people would accept an increased fuel tax because they believe climate change is a significant issue. When the climate problem was compared to COVID-19 or the war in Ukraine, many people decided climate belongs on the back burner.
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According to Phys.org, the European Journal of Political Research published a research paper covering a poll of 21,000 people in 17 European countries. The respondents were asked what they thought about a tax on fossil fuel use. People given detailed information about climate change were 12% more likely to support a tax than those who were not given the same information.
However, when other factors were added, the results were sharply different. Phys.org reports, “…if the respondents were also reminded of other current crises such as COVID-19 or the war in Ukraine after they received information about the climate crisis, their stated willingness to support a tax on fossil fuels fell considerably.”
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The report further states, “In concrete numbers, initial support for the introduction of the tax was around 28%. In the group that received the climate information prompt, this figure rose to around 40%, with 35% rejecting the tax. In the groups that were reminded of COVID-19 and the Russian invasion, support fell again to 30%, with rejection at 45%.”
The future of climate change ultimately belongs to individuals. Not only do they have their own reactions, but some run large corporations, NGOs, and governments. If climate is the third, fourth, or fifth priority, compared to other catastrophes, the move to arrest climate change is close to doom.
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