Habits changed: The first climate strikes affected 30 percent of the population

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She researched the effects of the first climate strikes in Switzerland. The results showed “that people have become more aware of how their behavior affects the environment,” the study’s lead author, Livia Fritz, wrote in the latest issue of the journal “Sustainability Science.”

Most of the observed changes related to transport, purchasing behavior and recycling. For example, about a third of the respondents indicated that they are now more inclined to look for alternatives to the car to go to work. They would also choose holiday destinations close to home so that they do not have to fly, look for local organic products and eat more vegetarian meals.

Efforts have also been made to reduce waste, especially plastic waste. Most of those who found they had changed their behavior were sensitive to environmental issues before the movement and had higher levels of education.

For their research, the scientists conducted a survey of the Swiss population in October and November 2019, shortly after the climate strikes reached their peak. The survey was conducted online among 1,206 people aged 18 to 74 living in the French or German speaking part of the country.

The interviewees are representative of the Swiss population as a whole in terms of gender and age. However, people with a higher level of education were overrepresented. (SDA)

Source:Blick