site logo

Business-Managed Democracy

“Business-managed democracies are those in which the political and cultural arrangements are managed in the interests of business”

Sharon Beder

Business-Managed Environment

Global Warming - Public Opinion

Public opinion does not reflect the growing scientific consensus on global warming because of successful corporate efforts to caste doubt on the science.

cartoon

Australia

Perhaps nowhere has the fossil fuel industry been more successful at casting doubt on global warming than in Australia, where the government presented the fossil fuel industry’s interests as being synonymous with the national interest. In 1988, when the National Greenhouse 88 Conference was held in Australia, there was unprecedented public interest in the issue. This has been systematically eroded through a well-orchestrated international campaign to portray global warming as little more than a theory that scientists can’t agree on. This strategy is aimed at crippling the impetus for government action to solve these problems—action which might adversely affect corporate profits.

A small Morgan poll found the following:

public opinion graph

Source: 'Public Opinion, Global Warming and the CPRS', Pollytics.com, 19 January 2010.

Older (50+) male conservative voters were most likely to believe global warming concerns were exaggerated.

back to top

Changing Opinions on Global Warming in the US

reference

The success of this manufactured confusion strategy was evident in US Gallop polls in October and November 1997. They found that 37 percent of those surveyed thought that scientists were unsure of the cause of global warming. The poll also showed a drop in concern about global warming since 1991.

Despite the shifting stance of corporations and think tanks about the veracity of human-induced global warming, the public is still being influenced by the confusion industry.

Changing Opinions in the US
April 2008 October 2009
Is there solid evidence the earth is warming?
%
%
 Yes
71
57
     Because of human activity
47
36
     Because of natural patterns
18
16
     Don't know
6
6
 No
21
33
 Mixed/Don't Know
8
10
How serious a problem?
%
%
 Very serious
44
35
 Somewhat serious
29
30
 Not too serious
13
15
 Not a problem
11
17
Source: 'Fewer Americans See Solid Evidence of Global Warming', Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 22 October 2009.
back to top

Changing Opinions on Global Warming in the UK

climate change poll graph

Source: 'Climate scepticism 'on the rise', BBC poll shows', BBC News, 5 February 2010.
back to top