Ministers urged to end coal-fired energy production
MINISTERS need to make more effort to end the use of coal-fired power stations as a new poll reveals most people are worried about global warning, it has been claimed.
Flooding and sea level rises top the list of fears for what rising temperatures will bring, according to the survey of more than 2,000 people by ICM Unlimited for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (Imeche) found.
It found more than half of respondents were worried about global warming, with one in seven, or 14 per cent, very worried.
Almost two thirds thought global warming was already a problem, and seven out of 10 agreed it was going to be a problem in 20 years, the poll found.
Flooding and rising sea levels was the major climate concern, with 63 per cent citing it as a worry, with two thirds (60 per cent) saying they feared extreme weather such as hurricanes and cyclones and just over half (53 per cent) concerned about droughts and water shortages. Asked what the most effective way of tackling man-made climate change would be, a quarter said switching to energy that produced less carbon was best, while 15 per cent said all electricity should be changed to renewables.
Dr Jenifer Baxter, head of energy and environment at Imeche, said: “Since the 2008 economic crash, climate change has drifted down the political agenda. It is an issue that still worries the majority of people.
“As we’ve seen in recent years, the UK is particularly susceptible to flooding and sea level rises, and this is something we are likely to see more of unless urgent action is taken to prevent and adapt to climate change.
“With the UN climate change talks in Paris just four months away, the Government needs to clarify how the UK will meet its ambitious carbon reduction targets.”
A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokesman said the challenge of tackling climate change was “why the UK will be pushing for a strong global deal in Paris later this year”.