The Big Scare Isn’t Working So Well

Posted on Tue 10/13/2009 by

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Andrew BoltBy Andrew Bolt

Hmm, Australians still think we face a global warming armageddon, but have learned to stop worrying so much about it:

Climate change continues to drop as a priority for Australians, according to the 2009 Lowy Institute Poll, to be released today.

In 2007, Australians ranked tackling climate change as the equal most important foreign policy goal for the Federal Government. This year it ranked 7th out of ten possible goals – down ten points since last year and 19 points since 2007.

Global warming is also seen by fewer people as a threat to our national interests. Out of 12 possibilities, global warming ranked as the 4th most critical threat facing Australia, down 14 points since last year…

Commenting on the findings, Lowy Institute Executive Director, Dr Michael Wesley, said Australians seemed to be moderating their views on climate change just as world leaders were preparing for negotiations in Copenhagen.

“When Australians were presented with a choice among three options 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’, but support for this option was down 12 points since 2008 and 20 points since 2006”, Dr Wesley said.

“This is also the first year that this position has not had majority support”, he said.

Looks like the debate that was declared over by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and much of the media has been declared open now by the voters. As I’ve found myself, there’s suddenly an interest in (and acceptance of) the sceptical arguments that wasn’t there even just a year ago.

Tonyfrom Oz prefaces …..

Where it says Liberals here in the following paragraph, this is the Australian Liberal Party, the Conservative side of politics here in Australia, similar to your Republican Party in the U.S.

Of course, the explanation could simply be that many people are growing bored with the absurb doom-mongering and exaggerations of the believers, or they’ve relaxed now that the drought has broken. But whatever the explanation, the Liberals should now rue the opportunity they’ve missed in not arguing louder and longer against the global warming scare that has so devasted them these past few years. True, public opinion is still on the Do Something side of the warming debate, but where might it be had the Liberals thrown the switch to attack two years ago or, better, more?

PS: Now you know one reason Kevin Rudd is desperate to get his emission trading scheme passed now, rather than next year. The way the debate is shifting, it may be now or never. Can the Liberals now do the sums?

is a journalist and columnist writing for in Melbourne Victoria Australia.

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