Most Indonesians not aware of global warming (Jakarta Post)

[jpak]

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20070501.R01&irec=0

The warnings are rather chilling. Around 2,000 islands will disappear from Indonesia's map due to rising sea levels.

<snip>

Wild animals, particularly endangered ones, will vanish. Floods, landslides, typhoons and tornadoes will become regular events and diseases will plague people around the world.

Most Indonesians, however, seem unaware of these frightening statistics. They most certainly are far from ready to take concrete measures to avert global warming.

A random survey by global information and media company ACNielsen shows 28 percent of Indonesian adults in urban areas are aware of the global warming issue -- but only half of that 28 percent believe it's a very serious problem.

<more>

[dave_p]

1. Promising figure

For 14% of urban Indonesians to rate global warming "very serious" is pretty impressive, actually. It's more than you'd have found in developed countries a few short years ago. And those 14% will be the ones to make a difference. Indonesia's a developing country where income, educational infrastructure and exchange of news & information still lag decades behind us. Somebody must be doing something right.

[Nihil]

2. I suppose this leads back to the old question ...

... "Is it better for the people to die in ignorance or in fear?"

If the 86% of Indonesian adults who aren't taking this seriously were to
wake up one morning and grasp the truth, would they be able to do anything
about it? If not, there is a point to be made for allowing them to wallow
in their ignorance and simply rage to their gods when tragedy strikes.

If only the people who are knowingly bringing on the apocalypse could be
moved into positions such that they would be the first victims ...
I'd hate it that when the human population has been so ruthlessly reduced
that the war pigs and their allies will slowly emerge from their bunkers
to start spreading their poison again ... similarly that many of the
wilfully ignorant deniers will crawl out of the wreckage and use their
own survival as a basis for enforcing superstitious rule over other victims.