Survey: New Yorkers Concerned About Global Warming

New York (AHN) - A recently conducted study proved that residents of New York are the ones who are most convinced about the occurrence and the effects of global warming. Results showed that New Yorkers are also the most concerned and recognize the importance of finding solutions that will then be enacted by the leaders of the city.

Conducted by the Princeton Survey Research International, the study entailed telephone interviews with 1,000 adults from New York, done from November 26 to December 16 of last year.

According to the New York Times, the study revealed that 78 percent of New Yorkers believe that global warming is real. Of that population, 82 percent believe that the threat was caused by either human activities, or a combination of human activities and natural occurrences.

Sixty percent are personally concerned about the effects that global warming may bring about; 22 percent believe that global warming has already affected the city. Thirty percent believed that the phenomenon will bring devastating effects within the next decade; and 69 percent believe a citywide evacuation will be needed within the next 50 years, due to rising sea levels.

"New Yorkers believe global warming is going to hit home hard and want their leaders to act," explained Anthony Leiserowitz of the Yale Project on Climate Change (YPCC), and Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED).

Elke U. Weber of CRED explained that the concerns of New Yorkers mostly came from the media coverage being brought towards the global warming phenomenon, hence influencing the people to call for solutions and greater awareness.

Science Daily reported that with the citizens believing that their leaders must take the frontlines and implement solutions for the problem, Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2007 started the PlaNYC 2030, which aims to reduce the city's carbon emissions by 30 percent.