Poll: Americans Skeptical about Climate Change

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/08/poll-americans-skeptical-about-climate-change

People support renewable energy for a variety of reasons: Job creation, security, technology innovation, and of course, climate change. But a new poll of Americans shows a trend of increased skepticism around the issue of climate change.

<snip>

The results show that the number of Americans who believe that “global warming or climate change is occurring and it is primarily caused by human activity” is declining. 52% of the people who bought “green” products agreed with the statement, compared to 49% of consumers overall. The Shelton Group reports a decline of 6% from a year ago.

<snip>

When asked about whether so-called “nightmare scenarios” (The polar ice cap has completely melted, kids cannot play outside in the summer, or Nebraska is turning into a desert) would convince them of the reality of climate change, 27% of doubters said that none of them would have an impact on their belief.

“That means over half of those who are unconvinced about global warming are either unlikely to change their mind or unlikely to change their ways, no matter what happens,” said Suzanne Shelton, CEO of Shelton Group, in a statement.

<more>

dumbasses

yup

[Newest Reality]

1. Give it time ...

If nothing is really done proactively to reduce our impact on the environment then the Karma will be a real bitch, so to speak. That is from an "everything is interconnected" POV -- one I find hard not to notice these days.

[Delphinus]

12. Everything

is connected - the web of life, as Chief Seattle called it.

This is going to effect everyone - believers and non-believers alike. We will all pay the price.

[alsame]

2. Propaganda works. This embarrasses me as an American. nt

[depakid]

15. Media deregulation has created a population that can no longer distinguish objective fact

from outright falsehood.

Complex societies that reach such a state rarely fare well.

[trumad]

3. Americans are idiots.

nuff said.

[Burma Jones]

4. I think a huge part of the populace will look at the results of Global Warming

and chalk it up to Biblical Prophesy.

[stuntcat]

6. +1

yah.

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[mwb970]

5. We live in a nation of idiots.

I find it hard to believe that this high a percentage of Americans were this stupid in earlier years. Maybe they were, but we just didn't hear about it so much?

It isn't just that the people are stupid; it's that people who are stupid are raised up and worshipped by other stupid people, achieving great influence over all the idiots in the land thanks to the innertubes, right-wing hate radio, and fox "news".

America is being held hostage by its least educated, least informed citizens. It's the ultimate triumph of the stupid over the smart.

[kelly1mm]

9. Demographics is destiny. And they get to vote as well. nt

[LawnKorn]

11. Smoking Cigarettes is just a harmless pastime

Ronald Reagan said so

[Delphinus]

13. Ooh,

your last sentence ... wow. Says it all:
America is being held hostage by its least educated, least informed citizens. It's the ultimate triumph of the stupid over the smart.

[Nihil]

16. Small comfort but (FWIW) it's not just you being affected by this ...

> It isn't just that the people are stupid; it's that people who are stupid are
> raised up and worshipped by other stupid people ...
>
> America is being held hostage by its least educated, least informed citizens.

This is happening all over the world.
It is most obvious in America mainly due to the prominence that the country
has in the world's media but it is not just an American problem.

> It's the ultimate triumph of the stupid over the smart.

It's also the ultimate triumph of the short-sighted & greedy over everyone else
as they maintain the above situation - the triumph of the stupid - purely for
their own gains, literally putting their pursuit of monetary profit above
everything and everybody else.

The manipulators are not stupid but boy do they know not only how to keep the
stupid masses in the "sweet zone" for milking but also how to keep the smart
opposition - those who are awake to the situation - sidelined, undermined and
outmanoeuvred.

[damntexdem]

7. Those unlikely to change their ways may sadly discover that their ways are changed for them.

And by the time that happens, their ways will be involuntarily changed much more abruptly and radically than they would have been had ways been voluntarily earlier.

But then, isn't that the way of the world?

[southmost]

8. depressing to the point

that I don't trust the polling..

[otohara]

10. 118 in New Orleans No Big Deal

because it snows in Colorado in the winter.

I'm just guessing this is their reasoning.

[MountainLaurel]

14. It's almost surprising

Considering that most Americans believe in things like Bigfoot and the trickle-down theory, climate change may be the one thing (in addition to evolution perhaps) they're skeptical about.

[LongTomH]

17. Stanford University poll says majority of Americans believe global warming is real!

A post at the Climate Progress blog quotes a Stanford poll that shows the vast majority of Americans believe global warming is real:

So says the latest poll from Jon Krosnick, senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University. Krosnick found that large majorities of Florida, Maine, and Massachusetts residents believe that:

• The Earth has been getting warming gradually over the last 100 years (81 percent, 78 percent, and 84 percent, respectively).
  
• This warming is mostly or partly due to human activity (72 percent, 76 percent, and 80 percent).
  
• The U.S. government should take action to limit the greenhouse gas emissions of businesses (74 percent, 77 percent, and 77 percent), with at least 74 percent of all such respondents agreeing that the government should move to limit emissions right away.
  
• A cap-and-trade permit trading system should be implemented to reduce businesses’ greenhouse gas emissions (68 percent, 72 percent, and 77 percent).

The poll also found that only around 20 percent of participants thought that limiting emissions would negatively affect the economy, and more than half would vote for a law mandating emissions cuts of 85% by 2050—even if it cost their household $150 a year.