by Bill Stovin
Environmentalists around the world are challenged on many political fronts these days as the United Nations annual climate gabfest, COP29, drones on with 70,000 registrants. In the U.S., Americans have elected a leader bent on boosting the fossil fuel industry and repealing climate regulations. And in Canada, conservative political forces are on the rise as they campaign against carbon pricing. Even B.C.’s NDP Premier David Eby has pledged to drop the carbon tax on consumers if a federal requirement to put a price on carbon is removed.
All this is happening while the planet continues to heat up. 2024 could be the hottest year on record with global temperatures rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, a tipping point that scientists believe will lead to more catastrophic weather disasters.
Even so, a national opinion poll in September found that only 62 percent of Canadians were concerned about climate change and its impact on our future, a significant decrease of 14 points from a similar poll in October 2023 when 76 percent of Canadians expressed concern.
One of Canada’s top climate communication strategists, Amber Bennett of Calgary, tracks public opinion on climate issues closely. Bennett is the founder and Executive Director of Re.Climate, a non-partisan center based at Carleton University, dedicated to the research, practice, and training of climate change communications and engagement.
In an interview with GTEC’s Bill Stovin, Bennett describes why public opinion on climate change is shifting in different ways. (This interview was edited for brevity only.)
Photo Credits:
Feature Image – Amber Bennett
