Australians fear terrorist attacks, increasingly concerned about climate change

Australians are more fearful than ten years ago, perceive terrorism highest among potential threats to Australia's security and are also increasingly concerned about climate change.

The 2015 Lowy Institute Poll released on Tuesday showed 69 percent of respondents see the emergence of Islamic State as a " high risk" while another 20 percent rate it a "moderate risk."

The threat of attacks on Australians overseas was rated close behind with 55 percent perceiving it to be a "high risk," and 32 percent a "moderate risk." Home-grown terrorism ranked third among the list of eight potential threats with 84 percent of the poll's 1,200 respondents rating it either a "high" or "moderate" risk.

Military conflict between the United States and China in Asia rated lowest of the eight potential threats with only one-in-five rating it a "high risk" to Australia's security over the next decade. 37 percent believed it was a "moderate risk."

Though a majority of Australians support military action in Iraq against the Islamic State (69 percent), few believe it makes Australia safer from terrorism "now" (9 percent) or "in the future " (20 percent). More than half of respondents (55 percent) said it had placed a target on Australia's back.

The concerns relate to less than a quarter (24 percent) of Australians feeling "very safe" - down from 30 percent in 2005 and 42 percent in 2010.

In 2015, 20 percent said they do not feel safe, more than double that of 2005, at 9 percent, and 2010, at 8 percent.

"Australians' concerns about security and terrorism appear to be driving a broad acceptance of our involvement in military action against Islamic State in Iraq," said Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute. "That support is remarkable considering that so few think this military action makes Australia safer from terrorism in the future."

Against this backdrop of rising insecurity and the risk of terrorism, the government's new metadata retention laws have the support of a clear majority of Australians. 63 percent said the legislation allowing the government to access call and Internet information at any time was "justified as part of the effort to combat terrorism and protect national security."

Australians were less supportive of other government measures such as climate change and the treatment of asylum seekers.

When rating government policy, Prime Minister Tony Abbott's coalition government was given a failing grade for its handling the arrival of asylum seekers by boat (4.9 out of 10) while its worst performing category was for its management of climate change (4.0/10).

Half of Australians now see global warming as "a serious and pressing problem" warranting action even at significant cost, up from 36 percent in 2012. It now outranks those who think it should be addressed in an low-cost, incremental way.

In the lead up to the 2015 United Nations climate change summit in Paris, 63 percent of Australians believe the Abbott government, which abolished a tax on carbon emissions, should commit to significant reductions so that other countries will be encouraged to do the same. Endi