ISIS and Climate Change Viewed as World's Greatest Threats

An international poll, conducted between February and May of this year, asked 42,000 people in 38 different countries about what they viewed as the greatest threat from among eight threats. Choices were: ISIS, climate change, cyberattacks, global economy, refugees coming from Iraq and Syria and lastly Russia, America and China’s power and influence. On a worldwide basis, ISIS was the number one threat among 62% of respondents. Climate change came in second - at 61%! The third biggest perceive threat was cyberattacks and global economy tied at 51%. A drop of 10 percentage points.

In other words, the world views climate change to be essentially the same threat as a group of merciless thugs who commit unbelievable atrocities.

In the US, 74% viewed ISIS as the biggest threat. Climate change came in third at 56% (cyberattacks were second). So, a majority of Americans view climate change as one of the major threats to our society. And, if you view it as a threat, that means you have to view it as real.

This is surely a troubling signal to the fossil fuel industry and it's supporters. As it should be.