Gallup: Despite Alarms, Americans Don't See Global Warming as Urgent

[DeepModem Mom]

Editor & Publisher: Gallup: Despite Recent Alarms, Americans Don't See Global Warming as Urgent Issue
By E&P Staff
Published: April 07, 2006

NEW YORK With warnings about global warming reaching a fever pitch in recent weeks--Vanity Fair is about to come out with a story featuring George Clooney and Julia Roberts on its cover--Americans are more convinced than ever that the Earth is being affected by global warming, but they have still not grown urgently concerned about it, according to a Gallup poll released today.

Only one in three predict global warming will pose a serious threat in their lifetimes.

Contrary to what one might expect, Gallup found that while public concern is higher than in 2004, they are "no higher than it has been at several points in the past." In fact, Americans are more worried about water pollution, air pollution, and toxic waste than global warming.

This comes despite the fact that a record number of Americans, 58%, believe climate change as a result of global warming has already begun, and is the result of man-made operations, not natural cycles.

Gallup found that only 36% of Americans say they worry a great deal about "the greenhouse effect" or global warming. The percentage saying global warming will "pose a serious threat to you or your way of life in your lifetime" is now 35%; 62% think it will not...."Since 1999, REPUBLICANS' level of worry about the issue has dipped noticeably," Gallup reports, "while worry among DEMOCRATS has shown less change."...

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002313671

[ixion]

1. The 'Murikan motto:

'What, me worry?'

:dunce:

[Coventina]

2. As the last of the oceans evaporate, I hope I can gasp out "told you so"

It'll make dying a little more bearable if I get the last word.

[demo dutch]

3. Since when is Gallup credible!

[depakid]

5. ... since the last time 78% of Americans believed in angels

[sadiesworld]

6. I definitely question this.

Most of the people I talk to are freaked out about the weather and more willing than ever to believe global warming plays a part. Methinks Gallup has an agenda.

[laheina]

27. I do too.

I think that people are finally starting to wake up. Some leadership might be in order, however, because Americans don't like to give up anything or do any more than they have to. We just need a little bit of a shove.

[sendero]

4. IMHO..

...it is already too late to worry. Scientists believe the damage is already done. Let's say that as a world, we came together and did everything we reasonably could. From what I've read, it would make very little difference.

Face facts, like every other similar eventuality, there is going to have to be an indisputed crisis that affects Americans directly before anything changes.

While I've been an energy conservationist since the 70s, we're a long way from American attitudes changing substantially, and by then China and India will be the big problems and getting them to come along won't be easy either.

Whatever effects global warming are going to have - better get used to them because they are coming regardless.

[dysfunctional press]

7. same here...interesting times ahead

and not a damn thing we do is gonna stop it.

might as well start enjoying the show Ma Nature has in store for us...this is gonna be FUN stuff to viddy.

[ronnie624]

30. Yours is an honest and logical post

that reflects my thoughts on this matter. Perhaps 30 to 40 years ago we could have mitigated the effects of "global warming" with a determined, global effort but it is far to late for that now. Human civilization is heading for revolutionary changes that will be massive in scale and radical in nature. Most humans are simply not prepared to make the sacrifices required for civilization to transition with minimal chaos into something different; a system with a greater degree of compassion with less emphasis on greed and its accompanying lusts for wealth, possessions and power.

This is achievable only through education, and a brief consideration of our system of education as well as the lack of value so many place on knowledge and understanding, and the fact that our "leaders" conspire to keep us ignorant tends to make one, shall we say, less than hopeful.

I don't know why, but I do hope our species makes it through the extreme difficulties which most assuredly lie ahead.

[Voltaire99]

31. Well said

Your concerns are shared.

[Occulus]

8. WTF?

"In fact, Americans are more worried about water pollution, air pollution, and toxic waste than global warming."

Aren't those causes of global warming, though?

[Uncle Joe]

9. They are waiting for he movie to come out

before they get really fired up. I believe "An Inconvenient Truth" will will be the water shed moment in the publics perception of the magnitude of this too large to fathom crisis. It takes time for the truth to filter down through all the B.S., the American People receive from their "trusted news source". The MSM has only recently begun to acknowledge the reality of the threat, up until Katrina hit, it was all debatable.

[Teaser]

10. I'm taking my family and moving to mars

what a marvelous world we'll build.

[hedgehog]

11. How many days until the next hurricane season?

To get a handle on how bad things are, I worried last year about my sister living in Houston, building a retirement house on a barrier island outside of Charlotte, South Carolina. This year, I worry about my parents. Thirty years ago, they built a house outside of Buffalo, New York. But wait - the wetlands around them have all been developed since then. After reading about how Hurricane Hazel caused flooding in Toronto, Canada back in 1954, it hit me that they could be effected by a hurricane just as much as if not more than my sister. At least Houston has some kind of plan put together. A hurricane tracking up the Ohio Valley or the East Coast could hit a lot of communities that are totally unprepared for the flooding that follows.

[hatrack]

15. Fifty-four days and counting nt

nt

[aquaman]

20. Do you mean Charleston SC?

[melody]

12. Gallup is possibly used to inculcate beliefs via herd mentality

That's one of the theories anyway.

It's not what Americans really believe -- it's what they want us to believe (angels are real, global warming is fake, etc).

[Kailassa]

34. I don't know if gallup polls are, but ...

In Australia, there have been massive telephone opinion polls before elections,
and the questions have beened framed in a way that casts aspersions on the oppositon party
and its members.

[melody]

36. Exactly. Gallup, too, is expert at framing questions to tip the result

They use psychological manipulation with language to do the same thing. It helps get the result
they are seeking, which is then presented to the public in hopes of driving the masses into
a false conformity.

Sorry to hear it's being used in Australia, too. :(

[cliss]

13. Not to worry. The change in heart

may come sooner than we think.

Like the next hurricane season. I've read several articles that say it's going to be "unprecedented, more extremen than ever before". The articles said that it's the surface water that's overly warm. That's apparently the culprit behind the 'monster' storms.

Just give it another season, and then we'll see how they feel.

[joefree1]

16. "give it another season"

Yeap, that will do it. Already people are thinking Global Warming whenever the weather gets weird. Another season of super storms hitting the South will get people's attention.

But then God is punishing the red states for polluting the earth.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. "Pro-family" should mean "concerned about global warming"

because it if doesn't hurt the current generation, it's certain to hurt the next one. Any politician who mentions 'family' in their attempt to get elected this year should be asked what they're going to do to protect families from global warming. And "the market will find innovative solutions" doesn't cut it. That's like saying "I'm sure someone will invent a teach-o-matic soon, so let's sack all the teachers now".

[Pissed Off Cabbie]

17. What Idiots

Denial is a river in Egypt, and it's overflowing it's banks. But, hey, I'm driving in my big SUV, so I can deal with a little flooding.

pissedoffcabbie.blogspot.com

[truthisfreedom]

18. with an oil administration like this, why would any thugs worry?

[wordpix]

19. LOL, nice pics. Gobal warming just won't make it as pressing issue until

oceans rise to a level that regularly wipes out cities and all those repuke mansions on the waterfront.

We've had Katrina and we know Venice is drowning but Amerika still thinks these are anomalies. (Not that Amerika knows anything about Venice's NO-like problems). Until we have such events on a more regular basis, though, global warming's impact is not in people's consciousness.

[Lisa]

21. the other issues -- water pollution and air pollution -- are linked

... with the causes and impacts of global warming.

The major factor driving climate change is the burning of fossil fuels. This is also responsible for acid rain, smog, and the release of many contaminants such as mercury. And water pollution would arguably be much less if more sensible land-use planning and the use of dangerous chemicals (for growing crops, or manufacturing products) were in place.

So, the good news is that this is all part of the same set of problems. If people are more worried about other types of pollution ... and whether there will be enough resources for us this century ... that's not in opposition to mitigating global warming.

[Orangepeel]

22. I would have answered "I worry somewhat"

hell, there are SO many damn things to worry about that I honestly don't "worry a great deal" about it.

BUT, I do think it is a serious problem and would strongly support efforts to deal with it. Maybe many of the 64% who didn't answer "worry a great deal" would to? /rose colored glasses

[mitchum]

23. Hey, did you guys see American Idol last night???!!!

I am not surprised by these findings. My countrymen are idiots.

[autorank]

24. I'd like to see the numbers for Florida, gone by 2100

What fools Gallup are! First of all, there is no general awareness of the real facts of global CLIMATE CHANGE because we have only ONE national leader, Al Gore, who has been making the point about this. Therefore the poll is based on uninformed respondents. It reflects their views but so what, they're not informed. Second, why didn't Gallup use this script:

Global climate change will cause a 20 foot rise in sea level 2100. New York City, Miami, Tampa and most of Florida, and New Orleans will all be underwater and uninhabitable.

(Show picture, see below)

How important is global climate change to you?

I'm so weary of stupidity like Gallup's poll. Why not just ask them, "What's your opinion of quantum physics?" Not much response. Does that mean quantum physics is unimportant?

Gallup's president said publicly that their work was informed by God. I guess they've thoroughly bought into "faith based social science" Idiots.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2100776,00.html">"London 'under water by 2100' as Antarctica crumbles into the sea" The Times, London. 03.24.06
http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/picture/0,,281997,00.jpg

[lonestarnot]

25. Pretty obvious on my streets. SUVs are overly abundant here.

[Voltaire99]

32. Well you know what they say in the land of big TVs, cars and churches...

Jesus SUVs. ;-)

[lonestarnot]

35. That's what THEY say.

:o

[lovuian]

26. After another Brutal Hurricane season and Tornado season

perhaps America might get interested...

[Jamison]

28. They'll believe when it's 20 below zero in Chicago

in July.

[Kenergy]

29. Translation : Corporate profits are up, screw the environment n/t

[Ezlivin]

33. Tell that to those who survived the latest round of tornadoes in the south

In March of 2005 there were only 62 tornadoes; this year there's been 226.

Sooner or later the sheeple will awake from their slumber.

[DanCa]

37. It's not thunder Jesus is just bowling and he's getting strikes.

You know fundie policy is going to be our death knell.

[Rex]

38. It's not urgent...it's to late.

Humans showing that wonderful, 'I will deal with it, when it's at my doorstep' attitude. It amazes me that we've made it this far as a species.

[Coastie for Truth]

39. That's because Americans have been brainwashed by

the largest, best financed, most powerful lobby in Washington,the American Petroleum Institute. Catch a look at their page on - dumber then "Intelligent Design" and "Creation Science" and follow the links to the Hertitage Foundation Papers and the Oil Company subsidized research.

This is Bush and Cheney - Big Oil.

[twaddler01]

40. Here we go down the drain

so much for my idea of packing everything up and living out in the wild...before we know it there will no longer be "fresh" air or any other "natual" wildlife refuges...for some reason, people don't care :eyes:

[earth mom]

41. What Utter Bull.

This poll is obviously skewed. Americans DO care about Global Warming.

It's the government, big businesses and corporations and the corporate media whores who DO NOT CARE.

Boy this crap is getting old! :grr: