Signs of the Times & a CBC Poll

Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.

Charles Dudley Warner (September 12, 1829 – October 20, 1900)

 Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens.  You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
 Luke 12:54-56 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Canadians seem to be finally waking up to the urgency of climate, which is resulting in climate chaos and global heating. An increasing number of faith communities are aware that this is a spiritual issue both practical in the day-to-day, an existential threat, and an affront to God, the Creator. How willing are we to alter our lifestyles though, to undergo the conversion which will make a difference for generations to come. Here are some of the results of a CBC poll of 4,500 Canadians. There is both encouragement and disappoint.

Where do you fit in all of this, and does your Christian faith influence your outlook?

Canadians are deeply concerned about climate change and are willing to make adjustments in their lives to fight it — but for many people, paying as much as even a monthly Netflix subscription in extra taxes is not one of them, a new poll suggests.
The survey results, the first in a series from a poll commissioned by CBC News and conducted by Public Square Research and Maru/Blue to capture a portrait of the country in this election year, found that while nearly two-thirds of Canadians see fighting climate change as a top priority, half of those surveyed would not shell out more than $100 per year in taxes to prevent climate change, the equivalent of less than $9 a month.
The findings point to a population that is both gravely concerned about the heating of the planet but largely unprepared to make significant sacrifices in order to stave off an environmental crisis.
The CBC News poll, which was conducted online between May 31 and June 10, interviewing 4,500 Canadians who are members of the Maru/Blue panel, found that 19 per cent of Canadians listed climate change as the issue they are most worried about — second only to the cost of living, which topped the list at 32 per cent.
That concern appears to be deeply felt by many Canadians — and particularly younger Canadians — as 38 per cent of respondents said that "our survival depends on addressing" climate change and 25 per cent said it is a top priority. Another 20 per cent said "it's important, but not a top priority," while 11 per cent said it wasn't a priority.

 

Only six per cent of respondents said they did not believe in climate change.
The poll also found 65 per cent of respondents agreeing with the statement "Canada is not doing enough to fight climate change," topping out at 76 per cent in Quebec.

Canadians say they are willing to do more

To help prevent climate change, three-quarters of Canadians polled said they were willing to make major (25 per cent) or some (50 per cent) changes in what they do in their daily lives. Only four per cent said they were not willing to do anything, while 15 per cent said they don't need to make changes as they already have a small carbon footprint.
 
The poll asked those respondents who said they were willing to make changes in their lives what they were willing to do or had already done.

Most Canadians are concerned about the impacts of climate change. One of those potential impacts is increased flooding in certain parts of the country. The  most popular options were buying local (75 per cent) and reducing the thermostat (66 per cent), while 55 per cent said they were willing to purchase fewer things in general. Just under half, or 47 per cent, said they would be willing to drive less, while 37 per cent would take public transit or use a bicycle more often.These options were the more convenient, less expensive and, in some cases, cost-saving ones when compared to the actions Canadians were less willing to take.Just 34 per cent said they would go without air conditioning, 30 per cent would purchase a vehicle with an energy-saving mode and 25 per cent would fly less frequently. Fewer than one in five respondents who were willing to make changes to their lives said they would purchase an electric car (20 per cent), move to a smaller house or apartment (19 per cent) or give up eating meat (17 per cent).Combined with the survey's findings of such a high level of concern about the cost of living — it ranked as both Canadians' biggest worry and their top election issue — the numbers suggest that while Canadians care about climate change, their financial concerns are more important.Still, only six per cent said they'd like to make changes in their lives to fight climate change but "can't afford it."