Source: http://www.quora.com/
Recent international poll cited by CBS:
Agree/Disagree? “The climate change we are currently seeing is largely the result of human activity.”
In order of agreement:
China 93%
Argentina 84%
Italy 84%
Spain 82%
Turkey 80%
France 80%
India 80%
Brazil 79%
Belgium 78%
S. Korea 77%
S. Africa 76%
Total 76%
Sweden 74%
Germany 72%
Canada 71%
Japan 70%
Poland 68%
Russia 67%
Australia 64%
GB 64%
US 54%
Global Trends Survey | Environment
As to why:
“A new study conducted by Dr. Robert Brulle, a professor of sociology and environmental science in Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences, along with Jason Carmichael of McGill University and J. Craig Jenkins of Ohio State University, set out to identify the informational, cultural and political processes that influence public concern about climate change.
“The study, which was published today in Climatic Change, one of the top 10 climate science journals in the world, reveals that the driving factor that most influences public opinion on climate change is the mobilizing efforts of advocacy groups and elites.
“’Public opinion regarding climate change is likely to remain divided as long at the political elites send out conflicting messages on this issue,’ said Brulle.
“The study conducted an empirical analysis of the factors affecting U.S. public concern about the threat of climate change between January 2002 and December 2010. The five factors that were examined were extreme weather events, public access to accurate scientific information, media coverage, elite cues and movement/countermovement advocacy.
“While media coverage exerts an important influence, the study revealed that this coverage is itself largely a function of elite cues and economic factors. Weather extremes have no effect on aggregate public opinion, and promulgation of scientific information to the public on climate change has a minimal effect.
“The implication would seem to be that information-based science advocacy has had only a minor effect on public concern, while political mobilization by elites and advocacy groups is critical in influencing climate change concern.”
– See more at: Page on drexel.edu
And in America the corporate elites stand firmly against acknowledging global warming:
“To uncover how the [climate change] countermovement was built and maintained, Brulle developed a listing of 118 important climate denial organizations in the U.S…The final sample for analysis consisted of 140 foundations making 5,299 grants totaling $558 million to 91 organizations from 2003 to 2010.”