The Latest Climate Change Skeptics: Utilities

Here’s something disturbing: Utility executives are generally “less certain of the threat of global warming than the general public and scientific community, as well as many political and policy leaders,” according to a survey of members of the utility industry by researchers Black & Veatch. That’s a bummer. Before I get into the specific’s on the survey check out this gem that a utility respondent submitted to the survey:

“The energy industry needs to unite and fight the ridiculous ‘consensus’ science of AGW [Anthropogenic Global Warming]. This is not science as anyone with scientific and engineering training understands, but it is power politics.”

In a survey of over 300 utility industry participants, in response to the question: “Do you personally believe that fundamental, long-term global warming is taking place, or are we simply in a cyclical period of warming that is the result of the earth’s natural cycles?” — 39 percent of utility respondents said that they believe the earth is on a fundamental long-term warming trend, while 54 percent believe that we are in a cyclical warming period, and 7 percent responded that they don’t believe in global warming.

In response to the question: “If you believe the earth is warming (cyclically or long-term), do you believe that mankind and greenhouse gases are responsible?” — 46 percent responded that yes global warming is anthropogenic, and 44 percent responded that no, warming is not the result of man’s activities (10 percent responded that it was “not applicable”). Black & Veatch compares those answers to 2009 Gallup Poll data that says that the majority (57 percent) of Americans believe in global warming and think it’s man made.

In addition, the utility survey found that most utility workers “don’t have a great deal of confidence in the science behind global warming.” A total of 49 percent were found to have “little or no confidence in the science, END QUOTE HERE? 18 percent are in the middle and 33 percent have “a lot” or a “great deal” of confidence in the science.” Wow. Have fun selling all that smart grid gear to these folks. Check out the data below:

Do you personally believe that fundamental, long-term global warming is taking place, or are we simply in a cyclical period of warming that is the result of the earth’s natural cycles?

If you believe the earth is warming (cyclically or long-term), do you believe that mankind and greenhouse gases are responsible?

Image courtesy of Tim’s photostream Flickr Creative Commons, and Black & Veatch.

loading

Comments have been disabled for this post