Canadian attitudes toward climate change are about as consistent as Canadian weather, a new poll suggests.

Contradictions abound in a Leger online poll of more than 1,500 Canadians conducted earlier this month after a December that set records for warm temperatures.

Almost three-quarters of them thought climate change was the cause of a balmy holiday that was many degrees above normal across almost the entire country. The majority 鈥� 81 per cent 鈥� enjoyed those snow-free, above-zero days.

But at the same time, two-thirds of respondents said the weirdly warm weather worried them.

Similarly, solid majorities of at least 60 per cent said Canada is experiencing more wildfires, heat waves, late-onset winters and poor air quality. Yet 67 per cent said they hadn鈥檛 been personally affected by extreme weather events.

People may not be making the connection between general concerns and events in their own lives, said Leger vice-president Christian Bourque.

鈥淭here is a growing concern over climate change itself,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut those apparent contradictions are in (that) we鈥檙e not there yet in terms of climate preparedness, making sure our public infrastructure and local policies are aligned with the fact that these things will happen more often than they did before.鈥�

Leger polled 1,530 Canadians between Jan. 12 and 14. Although online polls don鈥檛 report margins of error, Leger says a sample of that size would yield a margin of error no greater than 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Some of the apparent confusion in the answers may have to do with the way the questions were asked, Bourque said. While millions of Canadians breathed smoke last summer and millions more went through December with no more outerwear than a thick sweater, they may not think those are extreme weather events.

Still, Bourque said there鈥檚 plenty of continuity between this poll and Leger鈥檚 previous polls on climate change.

The percentage of Canadians worried about the issue is down about four percentage points since June.

However, the June poll was taken during the height of last summer鈥檚 wildfire season and the level of concern it registered 鈥� 67 per cent 鈥� was the highest Leger had ever polled. That slight drop may be deceptive, said Bourque.

鈥淐oncern peaked over the summer. Probably there鈥檚 been a slight shift in public opinion (towards higher concern).鈥�

The June and January polls registered almost exactly the same percentage 鈥� 50 per cent 鈥� of respondents who felt there鈥檚 still time to reverse course before the worst effects.

The January poll was remarkably consistent between different demographic groups. Male, female, urban and rural all registered about the same level of concern about climate change 鈥� between 60 and 70 per cent.

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 vary much,鈥� said Bourque. 鈥淲omen seem to be a bit more sensitive (to the concern).

鈥淒ifferences are more in shades of grey than black and white.鈥�

The outliers there were the Prairie Provinces, which 鈥� again 鈥� register the lowest climate angst in the country. One in four Albertans aren鈥檛 worried at all and one in five don鈥檛 think climate change exists.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen that before,鈥� Bourque said.

It鈥檚 a tough circle to square for policymakers trying to deal with an increasingly urgent issue, he said.

鈥淒oing what we need to get rid of the problem is potentially asking a lot of Canadians. It鈥檚 tough to ask people to do a little bit more, but that will always exist.鈥�

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