Pirate's Cove

And they’re even willing to pay more in taxes!

Majority of Canadians and Americans agree on climate change issues, poll suggests

The majority of Canadians and Americans agree that climate change is real, a major crisis and more needs to be done to combat its effects, suggests a new poll.

In a survey of 1,000 adults from both sides of the border a majority of Canadians (64 per cent) and Americans (53 per cent) believe that global warming, or climate change, “is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities.” (snip)

Similarly, a majority of those polled feel climate change is a major crisis — 62 per cent of Canadians and 51 per cent of Americans — while 26 per cent on both sides agree it is a minor crisis, and a sliver of Canadians (7 per cent) and Americans (14 per cent) say it is not a crisis at all.

About two-thirds of Canadians think governments, companies and individuals need to do more to deal with issues relating to climate change, while just over half of Americans feel their country should do more.

And when it comes to paying to address those issues with higher taxes, about half of those surveyed would be willing to pay more to combat climate change, floods, forest fires, and fund improvements to transit, schools and housing.

Huh. That’s interesting. Most want Someone Else to deal with the issue, not themselves. Funny how That Guy has to pay the price for the Beliefs of climate cultists, eh? But, what of the taxes? If you click the link in the excerpt, it leads to another article which has links to the surveys. It asks if people are will to pay higher taxes for transit improvements, housing improvements, homelessness (why is this included?), schools, forest fires, floods, and ‘climate change’. For Canada on climate change we get

• Definitely 29%
• Probably 31%
• Probably not 16%
• Definitely not 19%
• Not sure 5%

For America

• Definitely 27%
• Probably 27%
• Probably not 16%
• Definitely not 21%
• Not sure 8%

What’s missing is how much they’d be willing to pay. Remember this?

Another emerging theme from the survey is that people do not want to spend their own money to combat climate change. Thirty-seven percent do not want to pay any additional taxes, and only 14 percent are willing to pay even $1 more a month.

$1. An this?

For example, while nearly half of adults say they would be willing to pay a $2 monthly tax on their electricity bills to help combat climate change, just over a quarter say they are willing to pay $10 extra each month. And while two-thirds support stricter fuel-efficiency standards for the nation’s cars and trucks, increases in the gas tax remain deeply unpopular.

And this?

70% of respondents are not willing to pay more in electric bills, 67% are not willing to pay more in transportation costs, 66% are not willing to pay more in taxes, and 67% are not willing to pay more in food costs to see a shift to 100% renewable energy.

Oh, and

When asked about the top issue on mind when casting a vote for federal office, respondents listed the economy and jobs (19%) and health care (16%) followed by gun policy, national security and seniors’ issues which all ranked at 8%. Only 7% of adults indicated that climate change was their top issue, tying with immigration.

The minute you add real issues, ‘climate change’ is relegated to fringe issue.

Then we get what people are willing to do in their own lives. American

• Recycle more 56%
• Drive less than usual 32%
• Take shorter showers 31%
• Reduce your consumption of meat 24%

There’s also two on voting habits. Canadian

• Recycle more 67%
• Drive less than usual 38%
• Take shorter showers 34%
• Reduce your consumption of meat 24%

Funny thing is, they never seem to do any of this.