Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Increased Public Concern Over Climate Change

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RIO DE JANEIRO, May 14 2012 (IPS) - Climate change is considered a “very serious” problem by 65 percent of Brazilians interviewed in a survey conducted by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) in December and released in the second week of May. It is considered a “serious” problem by 29 percent of respondents, “slightly serious” by three percent, and “not at all serious” by one percent, while two percent did not answer the question.

This is the third year the survey was conducted. In 2010, the climate issue was classified as “very serious” by 47 percent of the people interviewed. By the next year, this proportion had grown to 60 percent.

In addition, 90 percent of respondents believe that immediate measures are required to deal with global warming, while only four percent say that there is no urgent need to seek solutions.

“The population has become sensitized to the issue because of natural disasters, such as the floods that recently affected the country,” CNI representative Renato Fonseca told Tierramérica.