Most Canadians do not believe climate change is the result of human activity, such as from the burning of fossil fuels, according to new research released Monday.
The joint study by Canadian and U.S. researchers showed that 56 percent of America’s northern neighbors aren’t convinced that the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere is manmade, although 79 percent of the country believes climate change is occurring.
Many scientists believe greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels is causing the Earth’s temperature to rise, resulting in more severe weather, droughts and sea-level rise.
The poll, the first to be conducted across all the country’s provinces, is being released ahead of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s climate change summit early next month, according to Montreal University. The university’s statement on the study plays up the findings that most Canadians believe climate change is occurring, but does not mention beliefs on whether it is manmade.
“The skepticism was a bit surprising,” Erick Lachapelle, co-author of the study, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “I think it is partly because Canadians are less knowledgable than one might think on the topic.”
The study, which was conducted over five years and questioned 5,000 Canadians across all provinces, demonstrates “a majority of Canadians are aware of the problem of rising global temperature on Earth, and many believe humans are directly contributing to this warming,” Lachapelle said in a separate statement Monday. “This is true across Canadian regions and across the urban-rural divide as well.”
When respondents were asked if climate change is “mostly” manmade, 44 percent responded “yes,” while 56 percent said no.
Another question, asking if climate change is “partly or mostly” manmade, 61 percent said “yes” while 39 percent responded “no.”
On policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, many more Canadians support enacting a nationwide cap-and-trade system over imposing a “tax” on carbon dioxide emissions.
“In terms of possible solutions for fighting climate change, the idea of implementing an emissions trading system enjoys popular support (66 percent) across the country,” the Montreal University says. “Meanwhile, a carbon tax is less popular nationally (49 percent), with support for more carbon taxes also being much more variable across ridings.”
