A poll conducted in 119 countries reveals the factors that most influence climate change awareness and risk perception for 90 percent of the world’s population.
The contrast between developed and developing countries is striking, note the researchers: In North America, Europe, and Japan, more than 90 percent of the public is aware of climate change. But in many developing countries, relatively few are aware of the issue, although many do report having observed changes in local weather patterns.
The study, which uses data from the 2007-2008 Gallup World Poll, will appear today in Nature Climate Change.