Climate Change A Bigger Threat To Canadians Than Terrorists

A new poll commissioned by the Canadian Defense & Foreign Affairs Institute on "Threat Perceptions" [pdf] finds that climate change is perceived as the most "critical threat" to Canadians.

49% of Canadians rank climate change as a critical threat, while only 28% (down from 49% in 2004) say that international terrorism is a critical threat to the vital interests of their country.

All regions report high levels of concern with Quebec the highest at 62% and Alberta the least concerned at 28%.

The poll was conducted by the Innovative Research Group between December 22, 2009 and January 4, 2010. The weighted total sample included 1,229 responses eligible for inclusion in our analysis. There were over samples in BC, Alberta and Ontario which bring the total sample of 1,877.

An earlier poll by Innovative conducted after the Copenhagen climate conference found that half of Canadians disapproved [pdf] of the Canadian government's position at the international summit, but 44% said it would not make a difference on whether they were more or less likely to vote for the governing Conservative party.