Comments on: South Africans Have Poor Understanding of Climate Change, Survey Shows

By: Dave Harcourt

Dave Harcourt — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:54:07 +0000

Hi Sdumo

Thanks for your feedback! You are right that people need food, but climate change is likely to make that food even harder to get/afford if no actions are taken.

The HSR’c report and my article are written, not for the grassroots people, but for those who can access and understand and can influence actions.

One action would of course be to educate all people about climate change and what they can do to change things.

Just as an afterthought, there is no English word for climate change either – its just that the two have been put together and developed a meaning. What about you developing a good phrase and getting Highveld Radio (where I see you have your email) to get the message out!

By: Sdumo

Sdumo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:04:21 +0000

People need food first then climate change! Most South Africans are not educated, like this article how many South Africans have read it? 1-6 maybe, there is no word that describes climate change; in the language of the South Africans everything is in English!

By: Shirley Hudson

Shirley Hudson — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:43:29 +0000

Although the statistics quoted are not an overwhelming indicator of much in any one direction, they do illustrate the age old truth that people respond more to that which they see as directly affecting their immediate needs: food, water, shelter. Generally, once these needs are met they are more able to concentrate on the greater community. The difficulty is then to establish a direct and immediate connection between a healthy planet and the ability of each individual and his/her community to provide for these needs.

By: Dave Harcourt

Dave Harcourt — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:56:23 +0000

Hi Ken

The points you raise, however unconventional, are maybe subjects for other discussions. They aren’t relevant here as the survey focusses only on the public perceptions and knowledge regarding the effects of global warming and not its causes.

By: Don

Don — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:17:54 +0000

as does one candidate for Vice President of the US

By: Ken

Ken — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:19:43 +0000

North Americans too have a poor understanding of climate change. For example, most NA’s think that CO2 is a dangerous pollutant. They also believe that since the earth’s climate is gradually changing, it must be the fault of humanity.

They also think that elevated CO2 is the cause of climate change, even though ice cores have proved that CO2 variations are an effect not a cause of climate change. Not once in all 800,000 years of ice core records has an increase of CO2 preceded an increase of the earth’s temperature. It has always followed by hundreds of years. That is by definition, an effect of climate change.

It’s truly astonishing how poor an understanding of cliamte change North Americans have. But you know the truth don’t you.