Most Wisconsin business executives
are skeptical about climate change science, but still favor energy
conservation and alternative energy use, according to a survey released
by the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp. (WECC).
Climate
change ranked dead last on a list of 10 concerns presented by the six
page survey. According to the study’s authors, “Most business leaders
do not believe that climate change is a pressing problem that poses
serious economic, social or environmental risks; most believe that
climate change is not the result of human activity; and most regard
predictions of adverse consequences from climate change as unreliable.”
The
world’s leading climate scientists say global warming has begun, and
that it is 90% certain it is brought on by human activities.
The six-page survey was mailed to 5,000 senior executives of businesses throughout Wisconsin this spring, and gathered 340 responses, mostly from presidents and chief executive officers. You
can download a copy of the 23-page report at publicpolicyforum.org.
Most respondents said that government-enacted global warming policies
are bad for business and the economy.
Kathy Kuntz, WECC’s
director of energy programs, sees a silver lining in the survey
results—that most businesses still support energy-efficiency measures. “The main takeaway from the survey is that we don’t need to retool our message to bring Wisconsin
businesses on board when it comes to reducing the state’s carbon
footprint,” she said. “They are still motivated by the business advantages of energy efficiencies, and that’s what we need to keep talking
about.”
Wisconsin
Energy Conservation Corp. is a nonprofit organization that promotes
energy initiatives that benefit consumers, businesses and policy-makers.
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