A surprise for the authors of this study. In Greenland, only one in two inhabitants knows that man is responsible for global warming, while 80% of them suffer from the direct or indirect effects of climate change. Another astonishing fact, young adults are among the least aware of this indisputable scientific fact, explained Friday the author of a study on the subject.
“Although Greenland is central to climate science, only about half (52%) of Greenlanders know that human activities are primarily responsible for climate change,” Kelton Minor, a researcher affiliated with the University of Copenhagen.
In this study entitled “Experience exceeds awareness of anthropogenic climate change in Greenland” published at the end of June in the scientific journal Nature Climate ChangeKelton Minor and his colleagues were interested in the perceptions of global warming by the inhabitants of the immense Arctic island, who had never been questioned on the question, due in particular to logistical difficulties.
43% of young people aware of anthropogenic global warming
“One of the biggest surprises for our team was to discover that younger Greenlanders are less aware of human-related climate change than older ones,” noted the researcher.
Over the past two decades, the huge Greenland ice cap has lost 4.7 trillion tonnes, alone contributing to a 1.2 centimeter rise in the oceans, Danish Arctic scientists estimate. The disappearance of the ice affects hunting and fishing habits, among the main incomes of Greenlanders.
Between the ages of 18 and 29, 43% of young Inuit are aware of anthropogenic global warming, “contrary to the pattern of young people’s sensitivity to human-induced climate change observed in other Arctic countries”, a- he pointed out. Experience of climate change and awareness of the role of man increase with age. Thus 85% of 50-64 year olds say they have personally felt the effects of climate change and (57%) attribute it to human causes.
For better access to school
For Kelton Minor, this ignorance is linked to education. 58% of people with a secondary education know the human origins of climate change, compared to 39% of those without a high school education.
To change mentalities, it is necessary to improve the access of the population to the discoveries made on site by the many visiting scientists. “Awareness of human-induced climate change is an important factor in adapting (…) to both the challenges and opportunities that are emerging in the Arctic,” insisted the researcher.