It’s good to talk – about climate change
Most school children are worried about climate change but rarely get to talk about the issue at home, according to a survey commissioned by Swedish insurance company Trygg Hansa, part of the RSA insurance group.
The poll found that seven out of ten 11-15 year olds were concerned about climate change, making it a bigger worry even than family finances or not having any friends at school. But six out of ten said they rarely or never talk about climate change with their parents.
This was despite the fact that when parents were questioned, an even higher proportion – eight out of ten – said they were also concerned. Many said they did not discuss climate change at home because they felt it would be too scary for their children, or they did not want to worry them unnecessarily. Others believed they had too little knowledge to talk about it properly.
Trygg-Hansa - which has a business interest in curbing the effects of climate change, as it will lead to larger numbers of insurance claims - says the lack of dialogue is a concern. The survey found that three out of four families (74%) who talk frequently about climate change have begun to buy energy-efficient power supplies, compared to only one in five (19%) of those that rarely discuss it. The corresponding figures for measures to reduce energy consumption in the home are 58% and 15% respectively.
The survey covered 1,006 children and their parents in Sweden and was conducted in February 2012.
