- Survey of 6,000 respondents.
- Half of Brits would pay more tax to combat climate change, research reveals.
- Respondents scored an average of 46% when tested on environmental issues.
- Over a quarter of Brits wrongly believe the UK is leading the world in solar energy.
- Interactive climate change quiz included.
Don’t forget to turn the tap off whilst brushing your teeth… Remember to take reusable bags to the grocery store… Say no to plastic straws… Take a walk instead of driving your car… Reduce, reuse, recycle… We are constantly being told about the different ways we can help save the earth by simply switching up the way we do certain things in our everyday lives – after all, there is no Planet B. The question is, how much are we willing to do or spend in order to save the environment?
Modular Classrooms, who offer sustainable building solutions for expanding schools and colleges, conducted an extensive survey of 6,000 Brits to to gauge how concerned they are about climate change and just how much they know about subject.
The survey found that on average, each Brit would be willing to pay £23 per month of their salary, or £280 per year to provide more resources to combat climate change. 41% of respondents also said they would be prepared to pay more tax towards the issue.
Although the dangers of climate change are apparent to many Brits, the research did reveal how little we know when it comes to specifics. When tested, respondents scored a mere 46%, meaning the majority of us are lacking general knowledge about the environment.
Questions asked in the test included asking people if they knew which of the following contributes the most towards your carbon footprint: flying in an aeroplane; driving a car; riding a bus or taking the train. Worryingly, only 1/3 (33%) of Brits answered correctly, saying taking a plane has the most impact on your footprint. Over half (51%) of respondents said the answer was driving a car; 10% said riding a bus and 6% said using the train.
People were also asked if they knew which country in the world leads in terms of solar energy. Only 25% of Brits knew the answer to this was China, with 12% believing it to be the U.S. Over a quarter (28%) were hopeful it was the UK (despite the lack of sun here!) and just over a third (34%) thought it was Germany.
Respondents were also asked which of the following products contributes towards illegal deforestation: palm oil; coconut oil; sunflower oil or olive oil. It was found that Brits did far better in this question compared to others with 80% of respondents answering correctly with palm oil. 6% thought it was coconut oil; 4% believed it was sunflower oil and 10% said olive oil.
Modular Classrooms has created an interactive quiz where you can test your own knowledge about climate change:
https://www.modularclassrooms.co.uk/climate-change/
It was concerning to see that 80% of Brits do not trust their political representative party to help combat climate change. Those in the South East had the least faith in their representatives with an 89% majority admitting they don’t trust them when it comes to environmental issues.
‘In order to help save the planet, it’s vitally important to be aware of the harmful effects our habits have on the environment. The more we know, the more effective our conservation efforts will be’ says Mark Brown of Modular Classrooms by TG Escapes. ‘Bring up climate change in everyday conversation with your family, friends and children to help spread the word. You might not think switching up a few simple habits makes a difference, but if everyone is doing it, it can amount to great change!’
* https://www.finder.com/uk/nation-most-solar-power
** https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/stop-deforestation/drivers-of-deforestation-2016-palm-oil
