Most Ready for "Green" sacrifices

[villager]

Source: BBC


Most ready for 'green' sacrifices

Most people say they are ready to make personal sacrifices to address climate change, according to a BBC poll of 22,000 people in 21 countries.

Four out of five people say they are prepared to change their lifestyle, even in the US and China, the world's two biggest emitters of carbon dioxide.

Three quarters would back energy taxes if the cash was used to find new sources of energy, or boost efficiency. Chinese respondents were more positive than any others about energy taxes.

BBC environment reporter Matt McGrath says the poll suggests that in many countries people are more willing than their governments to contemplate serious changes to their lifestyles to combat global warming.

According to the survey, 83% of respondents throughout the world agree that individuals will definitely or probably have to make lifestyle changes to reduce the amount of climate-changing gases they produce. The poll also suggests that a large majority of people in each individual country surveyed believe that sacrifices will be necessary.

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Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7075759.stm

[krkaufman]

1. So what's stopping 'em? Take some action. n/t

[DRoseDARs]

4. Talk is cheap, change is not. Until it becomes costly to continue doing what we do the way we do...

...we won't change.

[krkaufman]

12. "we" or "others"...?

This segment of "we", that is "me", is doing what it can, to whatever small extent. Recycling trash, batteries; installing CFLs wherever possible; Prius and mass transit; and looking for ways to do more.

<preachy>For those paying attention, it has already become "costly" to continue doing what we've been doing, even if that cost hasn't hit the checkbook, yet. Just ask the families of the 3,000-ish killed on 9/11; the 4,000+ "coalition" members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan; the million+ civilians killed in Iraq and Afghanistan; the thousand+ killed and left homeless by Katrina; those killed and left homeless by the recent California wildfires; et cetera, ad nauseum.</preachy>

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. Americans are great at saying what they are gonna do to fix things...

but 30 seconds later they forget when American Idol comes on. :(

People still look at me like I have 3 heads when I tell them I got rid of my car, and I don't miss it. And this is in Portland for crying out loud!

[physioex]

3. I can't go without a car....

However I choose to pay extra on my electric bill to purchase wind power. I also get some satisfaction since the money stays in the community.

[meowomon]

8. Me either.

I'm a home health nurse in a rural community.

[JeanGrey]

6. I am not ready to do much more. My cars are both four cylinder and get

good gas mileage. We put in all fluorescent bulbs for the most part, water saver shower heads, no laundry unless full, no dish washer when can be hand done. I have high/low thermostats that sta on 80-82 in the summer and 65 in the winter.

We are living on a fixed income and we cannot afford "more taxes". There is no public transportation here. Unfortunately the poor are going to suffer the most for "global warming". The rich won't.

[meowomon]

7. I agree

I support myself and my disabled (but not yet getting her S.S.I.) "not wife" on a nurses salary. I go green as much as possible. I sweated all summer and my bill was still high. It's rough out there people!

[JeanGrey]

9. I think it is a misconception that all people are wasteful.

Many of us have been doing what we can for simply forever. Both my husband and I are on social security so we can't afford to be slammed with more money.

[Earth_First]

5. The People want change. The political machine does NOT. n/t

[bitchkitty]

10. I can think of one change that companies could make

and millions of people would benefit. Telecommuting! Many, many workers could do their jobs just as well at home as in an office. The worker saves on transportation, time, clothing and it would certainly cut down on emissions.

[Cleita]

11. People are committed but governments aren't. I wonder why?

Could it be the governments are committed to the corporate interests that do the polluting and that corrupt government officials profit from those corporations under the table?