The people of Finland seem to be prepared to accept whatever political decisions its government needs to make to fight the growing threat of climate change, according to research conducted over the past year analysing public attitude. The study, conducted by Kuulas Millward Brown, indicates that Finns are more eager to tackle the issue of climate change than ever before.
Kari Tervonen, one of the research team, told the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that more than 80 percent of Finns consider reducing travel one good way to battle climate change. She also said that many people think the economic slump is actually an ideal time to implement changes needed to improve the world’s climate.
Finns strongly believe that a person’s own actions have a direct affect on climate change, with 90 percent of respondents expressing this view. More than half of the 1,000 Finns interviewed for the survey commissioned by Demos Helsinki said they had already changed their behaviour to become friendlier to the environment. A majority of them feel climate change is an even more pressing issue than the global recession.
The Finns believe that rich countries should shoulder more of the responsibility in battling climate change. One influence that has helped sway Finnish thinking is the rise in advertising campaigns with a climate-friendly edge to them.
That’s a more realistic and positive attitude than in most countries. I wonder what differences there are in either their press or government that helps generate this more cooperative view.
You find it ironic? Please. Use your brain. The extreme places of the Earth–high latitudes, high mountains–feel the effects of dangerous climate change earliest and most severely.
I find it quite ironic that concern for global warming is strongest in the coldest countries. You don’t hear a lot of complaints about warming coming from Brazil, there certainly isn’t a 90% level of concern as reported for Finland. Even the IPCC states clearly that the colder regions will benefit from warmer temperatures, longer growing seasons, less energy cost, etc.