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Is global warming a higher priority today than it was 20 years ago?
It is an article of faith among most journalists reporting on the environment that public attitudes changed dramatically over the last two years. A new poll by Gallup shows they haven't....
It is an article of faith among most journalists reporting on the environment that public attitudes changed dramatically over the last two years. A new poll by Gallup shows they haven't. Here's the graph:
And here's Gallup's analysis: Despite the enormous attention paid to global warming over the past several years, the average American is in some ways no more worried about it than in years past. Americans do appear to have become more likely to believe global warming's effects are already taking place and that it could represent a threat to their way of life during their lifetimes. But the American public is more worried about a series of other environmental concerns than about global warming, and there has been no consistent upward trend on worry about global warming going back for two decades. Additionally, only a little more than a third of Americans say that immediate, drastic action is needed in order to maintain life as we know it on the planet. 2 COMMENTS: This is a pretty simple reading of the poll. You could look at the numbers and draw a very different conclusion. Quoting from the same Gallup press release: About two-thirds say they worry a great deal or a fair amount about it [global warming], and only 17% say they don't worry at all about it... There has also been an uptick in the percentage of Americans who say global warming will pose a serious threat to them in their lifetimes, from 25% in 1997 to 40% today. That certainly sounds like growing awareness of the issue, its immediacy, and its seriousness. Also, from the available information in that press release you could say that issues of water and soil pollution (the issues that people reported that they were PERSONALLY the most worried about) would an effective way to build an awareness of climate change by drawing to connections between these issues. Post a comment |
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This is not surprising to me. It shouldn't be to you either because neither you nor I have personally felt the impact. Therefore, it's NOT REAL to us.
If it doesn't itch; should I scratch it anyway?
Posted by: Charles at April 21, 2008 8:11 PM