Climate Change & Power Generation

This is the third of a series of 14 section reports from our Environmental Choices 2008 survey. (This is the interim paid version which structures, prioritises and analyses the data; the final report on 27th February 2009 will also include a summary and synthesis.) In this section report we focus on power generation.

Coal is a plentiful, high-carbon fuel which poses a grave threat to our climate. As Dr. James Hansen (2007*) has testified, "Saving the planet and creation surely requires phase-out of coal except where the CO2 is captured and sequestered". Yet coal seems to have a warmth and homely feel - for example, it is used in the branding of a new restaurant chain in the UK, and in North American press advertising (see following slides). Are many people emotionally attached to coal in a positive manner despite its dangers? This section report will also consider public awareness and acceptance of Al Gore's Repower America initiative - in Canada and England as well as the USA. How America responds to the climate crisis has significance for all of us.

In addition, public attitudes towards the development of coal, nuclear and clean coal power plants are also measured. As with other section reports, the analysis will build on the core three-fold segmentation described in the first report - between Climate Citizens, Mild Greens and Sceptics & Uninvolved.

The Environmental Choices syndicated survey was conducted from 25th September to 3rd October 2008. Fieldwork for the study was conducted online in native language by Research Now plc, amongst nationally representative samples of a minimum of 1,000 people in each of Canada, England and the USA - 3,156 respondents in all. 14 section reports will be published over the coming three months, with a full final report due for release at the end of February 2009. The section reports can either be treated as separate entities or as a group from which a gestalt understanding of the subject matter will emerge: the full final report will draw from each section to produce a highly comprehensive analysis which focuses on all aspects of this fundamentally important subject in a holistic manner.