Not U.S., India Spearheaded in Combating Climate Change: Survey

BANGALORE:  India is leading the way in combating the challenges of global warming while skeptical Americans still question climate change, according to a new global survey by Time magazine.

Of the six countries polled, Indians were the likeliest to express deep concerns about energy and consumption and were the most committed to conservation and the most optimistic about their ability to reduce emissions.

More than 9 in 10 Indians reported that conservation issues were "very important" to them, compared to 68 percent overall, the U.S. news magazine's survey about attitudes toward energy found.

Indians were more than twice as willing to pay more for clean energy as residents of Brazil, Germany, Turkey, South Korea or the U.S.

"Each of these countries has moved to minimise their environmental footprint in different ways," the Time survey noted.

"Germans are in the habit of powering down their computers. Brazilians are assiduous about switching off lights. The U.S. leads the way in recycling."

"But Indians reported the most comprehensive approach to energy conservation, with 8 in 10 Indians reporting that they have altered their personal habits to curb consumption," Time said.

Those changes include several simple tasks that go a long way toward shaving both costs and carbon emissions, it said.

"Indians are the likeliest of the six nations surveyed to carpool, take public transportation, and walk rather than ride in a vehicle.

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