CBS News poll: Eye on Earth — climate change and a pandemic year
By: Jennifer De Pinto (CBS Politics)
The public recognizes that using technology less often and curtailing nonessential activities helped the environment. The pandemic essentially shut down tourism and reported results shows a large reduction in carbon emissions achieved over a very short period of time. The pandemic restricted travel, commuting, and activities that are not essential for maintaining services or supplying the population with necessities.
The rapid onset of the pandemic and need for immediate response caused economic disruption. Planned conservation efforts to reduce identified nonessential activities would be less disruptive.
We can achieve very large reductions in carbon emissions in a matter of months rather than over decades using conservation efforts. And these large reductions in carbon emissions were achieved by spending less and not by spending more.
Instead of nagging the public about buying more gee whiz gizmos and gadgets, perhaps we should be listening to the wisdom of the crowd. Apparently the public understands the commons sense of conservation.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Americans almost uniformly say climate change is happening, though some differences — often political — remain over the extent to which humans affect it. A year of lockdowns and millions working from home during the pandemic did, in the view of many, help lessen the impact on the environment, particularly among those who think humans at least contribute to climate problems. But that has not changed Americans' majority view that climate change needs to be addressed right away.
Nearly all say climate change is happening, and most do see human activity at least contributing to it, either bearing the most responsibility or else in combination with natural patterns.
But with the world living through the coronavirus pandemic, more Americans express even greater concern over more viruses, with perceived threats from climate change ranking close behind, among threats from nature and ahead of geological threats.
This CBS News survey was conducted by YouGov using a nationally representative sample of 2,003 U.S. residents interviewed between April 13-16, 2021. This sample was weighted according to gender, age, race and education based on the American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, as well as the 2020 presidential vote and registration status. The margin of error is ± 2.8 points.
Tags
Who is online
61 visitors
Use less, spend less, pollute less. How difficult is that to understand?
Conservation isn't about abandoning or prohibiting technology. Conservation is about how we use technology and what we acquire from using the technology. Using technology more wisely certainly isn't a return to the stone age.
Climate alarmists apparently cannot discuss conservation. Climate politicians who claim to be scientists only care about the money; not the environment.
I'm sure Greta Thunberg enjoys traveling around the world; spewing carbon dioxide wherever she goes. That travel is nonessential but, no doubt, self affirming.