Try as they might, climate change deniers have been unable to convince Australians that extreme weather events aren’t increasing, and that fossil fuel companies are innocent bystanders to global warming. Check out the results of new Australian polling below.
Image via @geeksrulz on Twitter
While the fossil fuel industry are celebrating the climate policy wreckage the Abbott government has left in its path this year, new polling shows ordinary Australians aren’t up for pretending natural disasters and extreme weather occurrences like the Queensland floods and Victorian bushfires have nothing to do with rising insurance premiums, fossil fuels, and climate change.
1. Seven in ten Australians think extreme weather is increasing insurance premiumsThe polling results, released in August 2014 reveal Australians have drawn the link between the increase in extreme weather events and the fossil fuel industry. Here are the major findings:
The polling found 72% of Australians think extreme weather events made worse by global warming in Australia – like floods and bushfires – are currently increasing insurance premiums. 32% of respondents said these events are significantly increasing premiums.
2. Three quarters of Australians think insurance premiums will continue to rise
The polling indicated 74% of the population think extreme weather events will increase insurance premiums by 2020 – including 39% who expect it will significantly increase premiums.
3. Two thirds of Australians think fossil fuel companies aren’t telling the truth
66% of Australians agree the directors of fossil fuel companies that are found to have misled the public about the impact of pollution on global warming should be held legally accountable.
4. 76% of Australians want fossil fuel companies held accountable
Interestingly, the polling also found three quarters of Australians disagree that fossil fuel companies should be allowed to pollute the air for free.
When just 90 companies have been found responsible for the climate change crisis, producing nearly two-thirds of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since the industrial age – it’s not difficult to know where to look.
According to Greenpeace Climate and Energy Campaigner, Leanne Minshull, these results show that the Australian community “is no longer willing to tolerate company executives who deal in spin and dissembling to talk down the impacts of climate change while profiting from its creation” and that the polling “makes it clear the issue of pricing carbon pollution is still one the community wants resolved.”
The solution? Greenpeace is calling for the introduction of an extreme weather levy to be paid by the companies that are profiting from fossil fuels, the coal, gas and oil companies.
