Environment

Knowledge and Awareness

Our capacity to adapt to climate change is influenced by our knowledge of climate change and awareness of climate change risks
Most Simcoe Muskoka adults agree that the world’s climate is changing.
Perception and awareness of climate change in Simcoe Muskoka residents increased between 2010 and 2014.

Climate change knowledge and awareness is measured through the number of Simcoe Muskoka adults who agree the world’s climate is changing, and the number of adults who perceive that climate change is likely to cause more environmental impacts.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Simcoe Muskoka adults surveyed in the 2014 Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS) survey strongly agreed that the world’s climate is changing.
This is a significant increase from only 60% of adults in 2010 who strongly agreed.

191127CCAwareness_20102014

Approximately three-quarters of Simcoe Muskoka adults said that climate change was either caused mainly by human activity (56%) or by both human activity and natural changes (23%).
Almost all (92%) survey respondents who agreed that climate change is caused by human activity agreed that vehicle exhaust contributes to climate change, 69% agreed that home energy use contributes to climate change.
Approximately half of Simcoe Muskoka adults surveyed in 2014 said that climate change was very likely to cause more extreme weather (52%), heat waves (48%) and smog advisories (48%) in their community.
This was a significant increase from 2010 responses. Only one third (32%) said that climate change was very likely to result in more disease-carrying insects in their community, similar to 2010.

191127CCPerceptions_20102014