Australian concerns about global warming diminish

SYDNEY, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Australians increasingly view climate change as a less pressing foreign policy issue.

While global warming remains a high priority on Australia's national agenda, its importance is slipping as a major foreign policy concern, according to a report about to be released by the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Tuesday that the Lowy Institute's 2009 survey on Australian attitudes on global affairs reports that climate change has slipped in importance on a list of Australia's Top 10 foreign policy goals.

Two years ago, before the election when Australia had still not signed on to the Kyoto Protocol, the Lowy survey determined that Australians ranked climate change as the most important foreign policy goal for the federal government. This year the survey found that climate change had slipped from first to seventh place on the list of Australians' foreign policy concerns. Analysts believe that part of the reason for the shift could be the country's rising importance as a major coal and uranium exporter.