Updated: Climate Depot Factsheet on Public Opinion About Global Warming: Americans Growing Increasingly Skeptical

By: Marc Morano - Climate DepotSeptember 22, 2009 6:06 AM

Updated: November 14, 2009

Polling data reveals Americans are growing increasingly skeptical about man-made global warming fears and claims. Voters are rejecting so-called “solutions” like cap-and-trade as well. Below is a small sampling of recent polling data on global warming.

Cheers! Pew Poll: Americans’ belief in global warming cools — ‘Sharp decline over past year’ — Only 36% say warming man-made, down from 47% last year – Oct. 22, 2009 – WSJ – Excerpt: A new poll out today on Americans’ attitudes about climate change presents sobering findings for those that favor aggressive action to curb U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases. The survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds a sharp decline over the past year in the percentage of Americans who see solid evidence that global temperatures are rising. According to the survey, conducted between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4 among 1,500 adults reached on cell phones and landlines, fewer respondents also see global warming as a very serious problem; 35% say that today, down from 44% in April 2008. The survey also points to a decline in the proportion of Americans who say global temperatures are rising as a result of human activity. Just 36% say that currently, down from 47% last year. More on Pew Poll: 1) Pew Poll Eye Opener: ‘The small minority that has heard a lot about cap-and-trade opposes carbon emissions limits by two-to-one (64% to 32%).’ – 2) Democrats are abandoning Obama on global warming: Only 50% of Dems think humans responsible for global warming – 3) Pew Poll: Decline in the belief in global warming ‘has been particularly pronounced among independents’; 22% drop in 1 year! – 4) Pew Poll: Even Democrats growing more skeptical; 8% drop in Dems who are convinced of global warming since 2008 – 5) Pew Poll: GOP grows even more skeptical: Only 35% of Republicans see global warming; down 14% since 2008! – 6) Climate Fear Promoters blame growing skepticism on effectiveness of ‘right-wing media personalities’ in ‘distorting science’ – 7) Flashback Sept 2009: Wash. Post Credits Climate Depot For Increasing Public’s Skepticism – 8) AP reporter Cappiello’s laughable claim: Public skepticism growing ‘during a time of mounting scientific evidence of climate change’ – Cites ‘melting ice caps’ ([email protected])At the same time, there has been mounting scientific evidence of climate change — from melting ice caps to the world’s oceans hitting the highest monthly recorded temperatures this summer. – A) AP Reality Check: Arctic sea Ice GROWS by ‘area one and a half times the size of Texas’ – B) AP Reality Check: Antarctic Summer Ice Melt at ‘lowest ever recorded in the satellite history’ – C) AP Reality Check: Peer-Reviewed Study: Ocean net heat flow is connected with climate shifts – CO2 not correlated – no ‘warming in the pipeline’

Yet Another Poll: Politico Voters Poll: Global Warming ranked dead last again! ‘Just 4% ranked climate change as the top issue’ – Oct. 20, 2009

Yet Another New Poll: FT/Harris Poll: Nearly 3 of 4 US adults not buying man-made climate fears – Oct. 22, 2009

Climate Scare Fading: ‘More Americans believe in haunted houses than man-made global warming’ – 37% vs. 36% – October 26, 2009 – Excerpt: In the United States, more people believe that houses can be haunted by the dead than believe that the living can cause climate change.

Science is prevailing: ‘Less than half of UK population believes human activity to blame for global warming’ – November 14, 2009 – Excerpt: Only 41 per cent accept as an established scientific fact that global warming is taking place and is largely man-made. Almost a third (32 per cent) believe that the link is not yet proved; 8 per cent say that it is environmentalist propaganda to blame man and 15 per cent say that the world is not warming.

UK ‘is less concerned about climate change than any other country in the world’ – UK Telegraph – Nov. 2, 2009

Moment of Clarity down under: ‘Australians care less about climate change — concern dropped 14% – November 2, 2009

Canadian concern over climate change plummeting – Canadian National Post – November 2, 2009

Gallup survey found global warming ranked dead last in the U.S. among ENVIRONMENTAL issues – 8th out of 8 Env. Issues – March 2009 – Excerpt: (Air and water pollution, toxic waste, animal and plant extinction and loss of tropical rainforests, all ranked as greater concerns than global warming.) “Since more Americans express little to no worry about global warming than say this about extinction, global warming is clearly the environmental issue of least concern to them. In fact, global warming is the only issue for which more Americans say they have little to no concern than say they have a great deal of concern.”

Gallup Poll Editor: Gore has ‘Failed’ — ‘The public is just not that concerned’ about global warming – May 5, 2009 – Excerpt: Gallup Poll Editor Frank Newport says he sees no evidence that Al Gore’s campaign against global warming is winning. “It’s just not caught on,” says Newport. “They have failed.” Or, more bluntly: “Any measure that we look at shows Al Gore’s losing at the moment. The public is just not that concerned.” […] Ask people to name their biggest concerns, and just 1 percent to 2 percent cite the environment. “The environment doesn’t show up at all,” says Newport. “It’s Al Gore’s greatest frustration,” says Newport. “We seem less concerned than more about global warming over the years…Despite the movies and publicity and all that, we’re just not seeing it take off with the American public. And that was occurring even before the latest economic recession.” He adds: “As Al Gore I think would say, the greatest challenge facing humanity . . . has failed to show up in our data.”

Pew survey: Global warming ranks dead last as priority for Americans – Ranked 20th out of 20 issues – January 2009

Gallup Poll: ‘Record-High 41% of Americans Now Say Global Warming is Exaggerated’ – March 11, 2009 – Excerpt: This represents the highest level of public skepticism about mainstream reporting on global warming seen in more than a decade of Gallup polling on the subject. […] Now, according to Gallup’s 2009 Environment survey, more Americans say the problem is exaggerated rather than underestimated, 41% vs. 28%. […] The 2009 Gallup Environment survey measured public concern about eight specific environmental issues. Not only does global warming rank last on the basis of the total percentage concerned either a great deal or a fair amount, but it is the only issue for which public concern dropped significantly in the past year. […] It is the first time since 1997 that the rate of concern has not increased.

NPR survey: ‘Climate Change’ finishes dead last in yet another voter poll – 12th out of 12 issues! – July 29, 2009

Bloomberg News Poll: 58% of Americans view global warming as ‘minor threat’ or ‘no real threat at all’ – September 15, 2009 – Excerpt: 31 percent [of Americans] say climate change is a minor threat and just 27 percent saying it’s no real threat at all.

‘Climate Change’ ranks dead last [again] in nationwide Bloomberg poll — Only 2% of Americans call it ‘most important issue’ – September 22, 2009

Rasmussen Poll found Only 34% Now Blame Humans for Global Warming – ‘Lowest finding yet’ — ‘reversal from a year ago!’ – Excerpt: Forty-seven percent (47%) of U.S. voters say global warming is caused by long-term planetary trends rather than human activity.

Zobgy Poll: Only 30% of Americans support cap-and-trade — 57% oppose – April 2009

Rasmussen Reports: Congress Pushes Cap and Trade, But Just 24% Know What It Is – May 11, 2009

Dem Congressman Artur Davis of Congressional Black Caucus: ‘There’s no public outcry to pass this legislation. It’s an institutional push’ – June 2009

Polling Data: ‘Loss in belief in man-made global warming happening even faster than’ models predicted! – April 20, 2009

MIT Climate Scientist: ‘Ordinary people see through man-made climate fears — but educated people are very vulnerable’ – September 29, 2009