global warming is just not a priority
A new poll just released by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that Americans are less and less inclined to place global warming and environmental issues at the top of the priority list.
Just over 1,500 people were asked what the country’s priorities should be for 2010. The economy and jobs topped the list, which is no surprise. And since the survey was conducted in early January (shortly after the failed Christmas day airline bombing), terrorism rounded out the top three priorities.
What surprised us, is that global warming was dead last and losing ground against results from previous years. In fact, only 28 percent of the respondents to the Pew survey said global warming was a top priority. In 2007, while only 38 percent said global warming was a priority. That’s 10 points higher than this year’s sentiment.
With the Pew survey, they also break down results by political party. The vast majority of Republicans do not consider this to be an issue, with only 11 percent of them making it a top concern. On the other hand, 43 percent of Democrats want action this year. Independent voters, who are now a third of the electorate, came in at only 25 percent believing global warming should be addressed by the President and Congress.
Pew wasn’t the only ones asking American’s about global warming last month. Last week Yale and George Mason universities released a report Climate Change in the American Mind. In that survey, 57 percent of the people said, “Yes, I think global warming is happening.” That’s down from 71 percent when the same question was asked in 2008.
Of course, just because people think that climate change is happening, doesn’t mean they think we have anything to do with it. Thirty-six percent of the people said that it’s mostly caused by natural changes. Interesting, because 47 percent said that humans were the cause, but scan back up and you’ll see that only a total of 57 percent would even agree that the planet is experiencing climate change.
Clearly, people are confused, as responses to this question demonstrates:
Which comes closer to your own view?
- Most scientists think global warming is happening
- Most scientists think global warming is not happening
- There is a lot of disagreement among scientists about whether or not global warming is happening
- Don’t know enough to say
The choice that received the most responses was number three! Forty percent of the people said they believe there is a lot of disagreement among scientist over global warming. The fact is that the vast majority of reputable scientists DO agree that global warming is occurring.
Where do you fall in the spectrum? Is climate change happening? If so, should the government make addressing climate change a top priority? How high on the list would you put it? Above creating jobs? Health care? Let us know.
Global Warming and Climate Change is the biggest environmental issue that we face these days. the long term effects of these environmental changes to a nations economy is quite damaging. there would be a shortage in food supply as well as on water supply too.