There has arguably never been a more global issue than climate change. One can dispute exactly what will happen, when, and where, but every continent, country, and citizen has a stake in the future of planet Earth.
Of course, who carries the bulk of the blame and the burden is hardly an even playing field. The more emissions a country -- or a citizen -- produces, the more they are to blame for the consequences that result. And the less able a country -- or citizen -- is to protect themselves from those consequences, the greater the burden they are likely to shoulder.
As leaders in Copenhagen debate the role of both developed and developing countries in controlling global emissions, they should do so understanding the world of difference that exists when world citizens are asked how much they know about climate change and how much a threat they perceive it to be. Across 128 countries, awareness of climate change is highest in Europe and the Americas, as is the perception of the threat. But both awareness and concern fall off considerably in Asia, the Middle East/North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa. You can peruse the results by country in this lovely, interactive map.
Next week, we'll release results of new data that find world citizens generally support the notion that developed countries like the United States, Germany, and Japan should reduce emissions at the same time as fast-growing economies like China, India, and Brazil.
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