Climate Institute poll - update

The details of the questions asked in the Climate Institute poll are now online. Here they are in full:

Given the turmoil in the financial markets, how much do you agree with the following statements?

A. Government should delay action on climate change
B. It’s even more important to take action on climate change and create new green jobs and industries

Comment: adding the words in bold clearly prejudices respondents to answer B, because creating new green jobs and industries is obviously something that any reasonable person would consider a beneficial thing. However, it has nothing to do with the question.

Which of the following political parties do you think is better at handling climate change?

• ALP
• Coalition
• Both the same
• Don't know

Comment: This seems reasonable, and probably elicits a fairly representative response.

How concerned are you about the following potential effects from climate change?

• Rising sea levels & coastal erosion
• Loss of the great barrier reef
• Less water for cities
• Damage to agriculture
• More frequent and intense bushfires
• More frequent and intense drought

Comment: Unsurprisingly, at least 78% of respondents said, yes, they were concerned about those things. But let's face it, what reasonable person wouldn't be concerned about things like the loss of the barrier reef? But the key point is that the question presupposes that climate change will cause those things, which is by no means the case. The question simply elicits an emotional response, which has nothing to do with people's beliefs regarding climate change.

Read it here (PDF)