Numerous eurobarometers, ecobarometers and other surveys have been devoted to revealing the concern that European citizens have for the different areas that concern us. From the economy, to the unemployment rate, through immigration and the environment, the barometers tell us what the citizens' concerns are.
In this case, according to the data collected by the PEW Research Center, The citizens of Spain are the ones who give the most importance to climate change and evaluate it as the main risk facing the country.
Concern about climate change
89% of the population surveyed considers global warming to be one of the biggest current problems in Spain. In 2013 the survey was also carried out and the results were different. 64% of Spaniards feared for climate change. As we can see, the number has increased dramatically in a matter of a few years.
Increasing heat waves, high temperatures, drought, extreme weather events, and other consequences of climate change are already becoming a concern among many citizens. This clearly demonstrates the growing trend in concern about climate change and leads us to reflect on the differences between climate change and global warming.
Of the 38 countries studied for the research, 13 were those who pointed to climate change as the main challenge for their states. Although Spaniards top the ranking, concern about the impact of this phenomenon predominates in Latin America and Africa, and is also relevant for Europeans. The survey has also been conducted in northern countries, such as Russia, where only 35% of respondents think that climate change is the world's biggest concern.
The problem of concern about climate change at different spatial scales lies in the perception of citizens. Depending on the context, the day to day, the media, etc. Citizens of different countries perceive climate change in different ways. For example, Russia, being located latitudinally further north on the globe, has lower temperatures and abundant precipitation in the form of snow. It also has cold winters. Therefore, the perception of an increase in temperatures due to global warming is much smaller. On the other hand, in Spain (a country very vulnerable to climate change), the perception of an increase in heat waves, temperatures, and drought is accentuated, which highlights the need to address these problems.
As we can see, climate change is already the greatest concern for Spaniards. Now all that's left is for the government to begin taking action. If you're interested in understanding how climate change affects ecosystems, you might be interested in this analysis. cities that could disappear due to global warming.
