News Round-Up
30 October 2024
The Saga of the Benin Bronzes Takes a Farcical New Turn
30 October 2024
by Mike Wells
In recent polls, a large majority of Britons say they support Net Zero. But the devil is in the details. When you mention costs, support for Net Zero plummets.
Scepticism about human-caused climate change continues to increase around the world, with a recent poll finding a slump in such belief among Americans to 49% from 60% just five years ago.
A new study shows that Russia and China are viewed positively in most of the world. It is only among Western democracies where these countries are viewed negatively. Hence isolating China will be all but impossible.
Polls carried out since the start of Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have found that the vast majority of Ukrainians want to continue fighting. This suggests the war could go on for a while longer.
Since the announcement of partial mobilisation, support for the war in Russian has barely shifted. Even now, more than 70% of Russians say they support the "special military operation".
In Western Europe and North America, people overwhelmingly blame Russia for the war in Ukraine. But in "neutral" non-Western countries – like India, Turkey and Indonesia – public opinion is much more divided.
A recent poll asked Americans what is the most important issue facing the country. "Inflation" was the top answer, chosen by 27% of respondents. "Russia/Ukraine" came second to last, chosen by only 2% of respondents.
Although polls show strong support for the war among Russians, respondents might be lying. A new survey using a clever method indicates that support for the war likely is overstated, though still very substantial.
© Skeptics Ltd.