Poll: Americans' belief in global warming "cools"

[villager]

Source: AP

Poll: Americans' belief in global warming cools


By DINA CAPPIELLO, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – The number of Americans who believe there is solid evidence that the Earth is warming because of pollution is at its lowest point in three years. That's the conclusion of a national survey released Thursday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

The poll of 1,500 adults found that only 57 percent believe there is strong scientific evidence that the Earth has gotten warmer. The steepest drop occurred over the last year, as Congress and the Obama administration have taken steps to control heat-trapping emissions for the first time.

Half the respondents still said they supported limits on global warming gases.

The poll's results differ from previous surveys which have shown an overwhelming majority of Americans believe global warming is happening.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091022/ap_on_re_us/us_climate_poll

[derby378]

1. That's what happens when the Bush administration muzzles scientists

We have a lot of work to do...

[ananda]

2. Boy, propaganda and corporate controlled messaging..

.. is so fucking strong!

Sad.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

29. SO TRUE SO TRUE

[Bleacher Creature]

3. What bothers me most is that the wingnuts will tout this as reason not to act.

I don't care if the percentage of people who believe in global warming drops to less than 1%, it's still not a reason to dither.

I absolutely despise polls that deal with facts -- they are so frustrating. Whether they demonstrate the most Americans don't believe in evolution or that a painfully large number still believe that Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11, the only outcome is demonstrating how ill-informed people can be.

[ro1942]

4. Americans are not the sharpest tools in the shed

[frog92969]

13. And THAT'S a national security threat

I know it makes me insecure.

[Psephos]

36. Except you, of course ;)

It's human nature; JK.

[SammyWinstonJack]

41. +1 nt

[nyc 4 Biden]

5. Bunch of Dumbasses.

Tweety was interviewing a Tea Party numbskull the other day and he asked the guy if he believed in global warming. The guy actually said he didnt because the weather where he was from was unnaturally colder than years past. I wanted Tweety to point out that that itself is an effect of Global Warming. Global warming leads to extreme weather as opposed to the thinking that every climate zone must becoming hotter than usual. Of course Tweety just let it pass.

[Robb]

6. Crosses party lines

...courtesy Pew:

[slackmaster]

7. The same story comes out about the same time every year

Mid to late October.

It's a HUGE mystery.

[Bragi]

8. Old American story: PR money always defeats scientific fact /nt

[ixion]

9. it is "global climate change" not "global warming"

which is really incorrect.

[niceypoo]

11. On the contrary

The terms are not interchangeable

Global warming: the increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to rising levels of greenhouse gases.

Climate change: a long-term change in the Earth’s climate, or of a region on Earth.

Climate change is a result of global warming.

[BennyD]

16. I agree, but...

your reasoning would still mean that "global warming" is the problem and "climate change" is the symptom. Therefore, I don't have an issue with people referring to the "problem" by using the term "global warming."

I know that most on our side view this issue as a fact - that is global warming. But not everyone is convinced, myself included.

[niceypoo]

19. The problem is global, the symptoms are local

The reason people 'are not convinced' is because of a campaign by polluters to sow doubt. In the scientific world there is wide consensus.

[PaulaFarrell]

33. And why are you not convinced?

It's not a rhetorical question. I really want to know.

It's obviously not because there aren't visible effects - just take a look at the Antarctic ice shelves.

I find it highly unlikely that, being a member of the reality-based community, you reject the scientific consensus either.

I would say the probable reason an intelligent person would not be convinced is that you personally have not seen catastrophic effects, and haven't researched the subject, or just believe that if you really, really, really don't want it to be true, it's not. The simple answer to this is to do more research. All the information required to convince any normal person is out there waiting to be found. as they say, google is your friend.

[elocs]

21. "So much for global warming"--that's what I hear after a cool summer.

People confuse "weather" with "climate". It's too bad that this was not called "climate change" from the beginning because global warming may have been a semantic mistake.

[IDFbunny]

30. Why is global warming incorrect?

Few deny the climate changes and many AGW deniers are predicting an ice age or at least a mini ice age.

[Union Yes]

10. 'Murikans tend to think locally regarding temps, instead of thinking globally.

A lifelong friend who is also a right wing nut once tried to tell me that El Nino was to blame for rising temps.

My reply..
El Nino is a weather phenomenon caused by warm water in the Pacific. It mostly affects the western half of America and Canada. El Nino is not capable of warming the planet on the sheer scale that greenhouse gas like CO2 has.

I then asked him if he could explain the source of warming water which causes El Nino. Crickets.

This is a prime example of the ignorance that we're up against.

[Stumbler]

12. Stop calling it "global warming;" "Global Climate Change" is more appropriate

That is, of course, IF you want the public to actually understand or care about what's happening. By using the phrase "global warming," you open the door for the Hannitys and the Becks to say "Look! It's snowing in New York! So much for global warming!"

Seriously, why are Dems so bad at labeling the issues and messaging their solutions?
Health insurance for poor kids? Instead of The Healthy Children Bill, we get SCHIP
Heating assistance for the poor? Instead of The Winter Heating for All Act, we get LIHEAP
Expanding health care coverage? Instead of Medicare Part E for Everyone, we get The Public Option

Why is the GOP so much better at branding themselves and their policies? From 'Clean Skies Act,' to 'Healthy Forest Initiative," to "No Child Left Behind," to the goddam "Patriot Act." Each of these bills SOUND good, but actually did the exact opposite of what they were titled. But when the Dems actually have good solutions, they come up with SCHIP... WTF? WHY?

[The2ndWheel]

15. We should also stop saying we want to stop climate change

We want to change the climate, and control it, to make it fit with what we need it to do.

[Winterblues]

14. 57% seems pretty much an overwhelming majority to me

And it all depends upon the wording of the polling..Anyone that believes humans could not possibly effect the environment has never been to Los Angelas or Houston.....The two most polluted cities in america..

[Altoid_Cyclist]

17. Maybe Americans need to talk to the people in other countries.

Start with the Maldives, Bangladesh, India and the areas near the two poles.

I thought that the Maldivian cabinet meeting underwater was a great PR move by their leaders.

Of course Americans tend to not look outside the box or outside the country as to the damage that man is inflicting on the planet.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/17/content_12258060.htm

[ej510]

18. This is a nation full of idiots. Why do you think we keep electing Bush's, Palin's,

and Bachman's of the world. Obama may make alot of progress, but a republican will get elected and undo anything; which improved the nation's future.

[krkaufman]

20. Probably a combination of fossil fools pushback ...

... and a cooler-than-normal summer in many regions.

[sakabatou]

22. *facepalmn*

[mvd]

23. Second hottest Sept. on record

The evidence continues but there is propaganda out there:

http://climateprogress.org/2009/10/16/noaa-second-hottest-september-on-record-and-virtual-tie-for-hottest-in-lower-troposphere-from-satellite-data/comment-page-1/#

[Uncle Joe]

27. Self-delete due to technical error. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

28. Kicking and recommending for your post, here is a snippet for the clicking on link challenged.

"The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for September 2009 was 0.62°C (1.12°F) above the 20th Century average of 15.0°C (59.0°F). This was the second warmest September on record, behind 2005, and the 33rd consecutive September with a global temperature above the 20th Century average. The last below-average September occurred in 1976."

P.S. This is a repost as there was a technical error on the previous one.

[mvd]

31. Thanks for the kick

1976 is my birth year - I have not been here for a below average Sept since.

[Ter]

35. Not everywhere

Here in NY, we have had one of the coolest Summers ever recorded. I certainly believe in climate change caused by pollution, but I also believe we are at the start of an Ice Age. Our September was flat out freezing.

[dysfunctional press]

37. not around here.

it was the summer that wasn't in the midwest.

[mvd]

38. Remember they are counting global temps

September wasn't hot here either, but it's just my backyard.

[dysfunctional press]

39. but people only know what they experience...

and a lot of them don't understand the difference between weather and climate.

which is why a relatively cool summer makes them start to doubt global climate change.

[mvd]

40. In that case, they should get educated

Sometimes America is a little too self-centric.

[dysfunctional press]

45. they should probably get educated about a lot of things...

but it just isn't going to happen.
and nothing substantive is ever going to be done about global climate change, until something incredibly catastrophic happens- and by then it will be too late to do anything- if it isn't already.

[mvd]

47. You might be right, the way things are going

If Obama gets two terms, maybe we can stop the most severe damage.

[Lu Galasso]

24. makes sense.

its been going down for the last couple of years. You don't think that coal sponsored protests to reduction of new fossil fuel plants, and pro-oil senators have a big thing to do that.

[Q3JR4]

25. I seem to recall that at one point a majority of people

"believed" the earth was flat. If memory serves they were wrong.

The act of belief doesn't make that belief any more true or any more false. People can be passionate about their beliefs and cling to them with every fiber of their beings and still be wrong.

Q3JR4.

[apnu]

26. The pool also shows how dumb the Amercian people are. (nt)

[feslen]

32. re:

unfortunately, they have the same rights we thinking people have.....

[depakid]

34. With the culture of lies promoted and propagated by the American corporate media- hardly surprising

particularly since it dovetails with the astonishingly high level of science illiteracy (and distrust) in the states.

[and-justice-for-all]

42. Misinformation at its best!! I see far more negative ads than I do

positive ones on this issue and HCR..it is maddening

[Cerridwen]

43. Or it could have read, "Pew poll results implausible"

Or it could have read, "In spite of the groups fighting global climate awareness, 57% still aware of climate warming."

Of course, those wouldn't catapult the anti- message as effectively as this spin does.

One of those lawmakers, Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, told reporters Thursday that she was happy with the results, given the interests and industry groups fighting the bill.

"Today, to get 57 percent saying that the climate is warming is good, because today everybody is grumpy about everything," Boxer said. "Science will win the day in America. Science always wins the day."

Earlier polls, from different organizations, have not detected a growing skepticism about the science behind global warming.

Since 1997, the percentage of Americans that believe the Earth is heating up has remained constant — at around 80 percent — in polling done by Jon Krosnick of Stanford University. Krosnick, who has been conducting surveys on attitudes about global warming since 1993, was surprised by the Pew results.

He described the decline in the Pew results as "implausible," saying there is nothing that could have caused it. (emphasis added)

Edit to add link to Pew report and pertinent portion of the questionaire (.pdf warning and emphasis added)

QUESTIONS 1 THROUGH 38 PREVIOUSLY RELEASED
NO QUESTIONS 39 AND 40
ASK ALL:
On a different subject…
Q.41 From what you’ve read and heard, is there solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been
getting warmer over the past few decades, or not?
IF “YES” (1 IN Q.41) ASK {N=834}:
Q.42 Do you believe that the earth is getting warmer {READ AND RANDOMIZE}?

From what you've read and heard. Uh, huh.

I'd also suggest, if you read the results at the links, that you look at the political breakdown of "believers."

[Odin2005]

44. Somebody teach people the difference between Weather and Climate

It's been a cold, rainy year here in Minnesota, which has brought out the usual "What Global Warming?" remarks. :banghead:.

[Bjorn Against]

46. Part of the problem is using the term "warming" instead of climate change

Here in Minnesota we just had one of the coolest summers ever recorded, there were days in July in which I was actually shivering (and contrary to popular belief Minnesota usually has very hot summers). There was no warming here this year, but there was climate change. There are many here however who are so used to hearing the term "global warming" that they think this year discredits all the scientific data. I admit I mistakenly say global warming myself sometimes, but we should all try to get into the habit of saying global climate change because it really is a more accurate term.