Canadians want to see the federal government make global warming its major focus in Canada's North, according to a national poll released today by the Pembina Institute.
Twenty nine per cent of Canadians chose "global warming" when asked what the federal government's top priority should be in the Canadian Arctic. "Environmental protection" came second at 26 per cent, for a combined total of 55 per cent. Addressing social problems was respondents' third choice at 18 per cent, followed by the federal government's current focus, "Canadian sovereignty," in fourth place at 17 per cent. Just seven per cent of Canadians say that economic development is a top priority in the Arctic.
"Once again, this poll shows that Canadian citizens are way ahead of their government. Canadians want the Arctic protected from the impacts of climate change," states Sheila Watt-Cloutier, a well-known Inuit activist. "Furthermore, along with implementing the four Inuit land claim agreements, protecting the Arctic environment from the impacts of climate change is the best defence of Canadian sovereignty over the Arctic. We need a government that will take the international and domestic leadership necessary to actually do what we, the citizens of Canada, want," concluded Ms. Watt-Cloutier.
"Clearly, Canadians feel that the federal government needs to put more emphasis on protecting the Arctic's climate and its environment," said Peggy Holroyd, Director of Arctic Energy Solutions for the Pembina Institute. "Global warming is a reality that Arctic people already confront in their daily lives. The federal government's timid approach to climate change thus far is not enough to meet the needs of the Arctic or Canadians' expectations."
The poll, conducted in English and French by McAllister Opinion Research from April 29 to May 9, surveyed 1,007 Canadians aged 18 years and older. A random sample of this size yields a margin of error of 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
The poll's release coincides with the opening of the Canadian Arctic Summit in Edmonton, which brings together northern leaders and scientists to discuss climate change and economic development in the Arctic.
In 2007, Arctic sea ice shrunk to 23 per cent below its previous record low. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world's most authoritative climate science body, the Arctic has been warming at almost twice the global average rate in the past 100 years. The IPCC also states that some projections have found that the Arctic's late-summer sea ice will be almost entirely gone by the second half of this century.
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For more information:
A background document with the detailed results of the poll and facts about the state of Canada's Arctic is available at here.
Peggy Holroyd
Director, Arctic Energy Solutions
Pembina Institute
Cell: 403-996-0510
Jason Doud
McAllister Research
Phone: 778-997-7506