Little confidence in Howard to tackle global warming

Australian
Friday 20/10/2006, Page: 6

ONLY 7 per cent of voters think the Howard Government is doing enough to address climate change and a significant majority think Australia should ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

A nationwide poll of 1500 voters commissioned by the wind industry has found that despite a government push to establish nuclear energy, only 13 per cent thought it was a clean energy source.

The poll, taken in September and October, found more than nine out of 10 voters were concerned about environmental issues and climate change and 83 per cent believed the Government should take stronger action to reduce greenhouse gas emission levels.

Three-quarters of voters did not believe the Government was doing enough to address climate change. Eighteen per cent were open-minded. Seventy per cent of voters believed the Government should sign up to Kyoto and 20 per cent were open-minded.

Solar and wind energy were energy sources most highly associated with being environmentally friendly, while only 11 per cent of voters believed the same about nuclear energy.

Dominique La Fontaine, chief executive of the Australian Wind Energy Association, said the poll showed voters wanted action on climate change.

But the poll findings suggest the wind industry has some work to do selling its case. While voters believed wind farms were clean and reduced greenhouse emissions, they were less convinced about their visual appeal, their impact on property values and level of noise.