Australian views about Global Warming are slowly changing with 50% (down 2% since November 2009 and down 14% since November 2008) saying “If we don’t act now it will be too late” and a consistent minority (14%, unchanged since November, and unchanged since November 2008) of Australians saying “It is already too late,” whilst 31% (up 1% since November, 2009 and up 12% since November 2008) say “Concerns are exaggerated’ and 5% (up 1%) can’t say according to a special telephone Morgan Poll conducted over the nights of December 4-9, 2009.

Analysis by voting intention shows a clear majority of ALP supporters 69% (up 5% since November 2009) and Greens supporters 65% (down 1%) say “If we don’t act now it will be too late” while only 34% (down 4%) of L-NP supporters and 32% (up 2%) of Family First supporters agree with the statement.

Only a small number of ALP supporters (14%, down 4% since November 2009) and Greens supporters (4%, down 7%) agree with the statement about Global warming that “Concerns are exaggerated,” compared to a majority, and rising number, of L-NP supporters (51%, up 5%) and Family First supporters (68%, up 14%).

Greens supporters (27%, up 6% since November 2009) are the most likely to agree with the statement that “It is already too late” in regards to Global warming, far more than either ALP supporters (14%, down 2%) or L-NP supporters (11%, up 1%).

 Gary Morgan says:

“This special telephone Morgan Poll on attitudes towards Global warming taken after the Coalition rejected the Rudd Government’s amended Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in the Senate shows that opinions on the issue are clearly becoming further divided along political lines.

“An increasing majority of ALP supporters (69%, up 5% since November 2009) say about Global warming that ‘If we don’t act now it will be too late,’ while an increasing number of L-NP supporters (51%, up 5%) say ‘Concerns are exaggerated.’

“Those most worried about Global warming though are clearly supporters of the Greens — of which over a quarter (27%, up 6%) say that ‘It is already too late’ to do anything about the problem.”

This special telephone Morgan Poll was conducted on the evenings of December 4-9, 2009, with an Australia-wide cross-section of 539 men and women aged 18 or over.

Views about Global Warming

Respondents were asked: “Which of the following is closest to your view about Global Warming?” Do you think: Concerns are exaggerated; if we don’t act now it will be too late; it is already too late?”

	Total all people aged 14+						Analysis by Sex and Age
	April 2006	Nov 2008	May 2009	Aug 2009	Nov 2009	Dec 4-8, 2009	Men	Women	18-24	25-34	35-49	50+
	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)
Concerns are  exaggerated	13	19	26	27	30	31	38	23	13	20	31	39
If we don’t act now it will be too late	67	64	58	58	52	50	43	57	59	63	48	45
It is already too late	15	14	12	11	14	14	15	14	24	14	17	10
Can’t say	5	3	4	4	4	5	4	6	4	3	4	6
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

	Total all people aged 14+						Analysis by Sex and Age
	April 2006	Nov 2008	May 2009	Aug 2009	Nov 2009	Dec 4-8, 2009	Capital Cities	Country Areas	NSW	Vic	Qld	SA	WA	Tas
	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)
Concerns are exaggerated	13	19	26	27	30	31	31	30	35	25	35	24	27	35
If we don’t act now it will be too late	67	64	58	58	52	50	50	51	49	50	52	57	51	58
It is already too late	15	14	12	11	14	14	14	15	12	17	11	14	15	7
Can’t say	5	3	4	4	4	5	5	4	4	8	2	5	7	0
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

	Total all people aged 14+						Analysis by Voting Preference
	April 2006	Nov. 2008	May 2009	Aug 2009	Nov 2009	Dec 4-8, 2009	ALP	L-NP	Lib	Nat#	Green#	FF#	Other#	Can’t Say
	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)
Concerns are exaggerated	13	19	26	27	30	31	14	51	50	70	4	68	54	25
If we don’t act now  it will be too late	67	64	58	58	52	50	69	34	34	30	65	32	34	53
It is already too late	15	14	12	11	14	14	14	11	12	0	27	0	5	11
Can’t say	5	3	4	4	4	5	3	4	4	0	4	0	7	11
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

For further information:

Gary Morgan:     Office +61 3 9224 5213 Mobile +61 411 129 094

Michele Levine:   Office +61 3 9224 5215 Mobile +61 411 129 093

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