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More Americans than before are doubting global
warming according to a new Gallup poll. See our
slideshow for images of the results.
In a just released poll from the Gallup Organization, while a majority of Americans believe the seriousness of global warming is accurately portrayed, 41% now believe it is exaggerated. That is the highest percentage of ‘doubters’ since 1998.
Perhaps most significantly, more Americans say the problem is exaggerated versus underestimated – 41% to 28%. The exaggerated statistic has been steadily rising since 2005 after a drop from 2004 to 2005.
See our slideshow below for charts of the results.
As one would expect, the poll showed that Republicans are increasingly likely to think media coverage of the theory is exaggerated with 66% believing that now. However, it is the independents who have shown the greatest shift in their thinking on the topic skyrocketing from 33% to 44% in one year. Interestingly enough, Democrat doubts have grown as well from 18% to 22%.
The poll is very revealing and likely to cause environmentalists and global warming alarmists some concern.
Among the other highlights:
- All of the increase in cynicism came from Americans 30 years old or older.
- Roughly 60% of Americans are a ‘fair amount’ or ‘great deal’ concerned about global warming. This is down from 66%.
- Of all environmental issues respondents were asked about, global warming ranked dead last amongst their concerns. Drinking water, soil and water contamination, air pollution, loss of rain forests and extinction of plants and animals all rated of higher concern.
- Fewer Americans 53%, versus 61% in 2008, believe the effects of global warming have begun to occur.
- Only 38% of Americans believe global warming are a ‘serious threat’ to them or their way of lives.
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Slideshow: Battle lines are drawn over global warming - Who fights on each side?
In Gallup’s conclusions, they note that the poll does show Americans, “generally believe global warming is real.” But they also note that only 34% of Americans worry ‘a great deal’ about the issue and as such don’t view it as nearly as dire of an issue as Al Gore or James Hansen would like them to.
Comments
At the recent Conference in New York, Lord Christopher Monckton, expressing the opinion of an increasing number of scientists, said that there is no climate crisis. He added, "The environmental movement has to be outlawed, because their policies have murdered 40 million people, mainly children, with the ban on DDT." He added, "They have caused mass starvation and food riots with their nonsensical drive for bio-fuels. The forces of darkness in the environmental movement want create a new dark age in which humanity is pushed back to the Stone Age and without the right to light a fire."
And the far right, yes they are indeed the light of hope in the USA- give me a break.
Dear AntonioSosa, if, like me, you've already lived in the 70's you would know that there was (and there is now) a need for environmental policies.
The climate scare got such drive, because some industries back it up, to deroute customers and taxpayers money into their pockets. So there is not only the environmental movement to be blamed.
But the whole issue shows the need for more science education, so that people can at least understand the scientific arguments for or against global warming and don't just believe the hype. Who doesn't have a clue, does not have an opinion (that counts).
I saw the list. If you cut off evrything below global warming, it will always be at the bottom of the list.
Stupid poll.
Leyts see, 5 million people lost their jobs in the last year and you ask them what?
Stupid poll, stupid coverage, stupid conclusions.
Time this poll with the Denialist Congregation in NYC and you have the last ditch effort of oil profits attempting to keep their oily heads above the slimy sea.
Like a fish choking on Exxon Valdez blood, one or two more flaps before you finally disappear forever.
Earl - Thank you for your comments.
To clarify on global warming being at the bottom of the concerns. Gallup asked about eight environmental issues and of those eight, global warming finished at the bottom as a concern. It isn't as if they asked about 12 concerns and cut off the list where global warming was at.
Nothing 'stupid' about it.
Economy
Jobs
Terrorism
Social Security
Education
Deficit Reduction
Morale Decline
Health Care
Health insurance
how truely stupid America is...
Military
Tax cuts
then....environment
on and on
and Global Warming at the bottom
A pole for morons digested by oil and coal supporters... and their polluting spinoffs like Detroit..
Not only stupid, but obviously misleading.
Why not put mercury in the drinking water on the list?
Why not put drought, wildfire, flooding, erosion, dead zones?
Because this poll was noit about anything.
People have lost their retirements, their jobs, their careers, their homes, and their families have lost their food and medical coverage...
And you report this as something that it is not. It only exposes you as a pawn...
Because this pole was created by 2 guys whop are being paid to try and keep the murder of Iraqi children acceptable for cheap gas.
Pathetic nation, pathetic planning, pathetic implementation.
Profits as if people don't matter.
Antonio,
It was Stalin who killed 40 million of his own people. It is food aid that the US provides because of its overproduction of corn that provided enough energy for humans to reproduce in desert regions where the ecology of the region would not support such large populations.
Feeding the poor just allows the poor to breed more poor, and in a cycle of handouts to starvation the corn-belt keeps dumping its fertilizers into the Gulf and choking the life out of the sea while teasing the poor into having sex and then watching their children starve to death.
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