Most Americans say global warming is serious and want the United States to address it, but their support for government regulations has fallen in recent years, said a poll out Friday conducted for USA TODAY.
Three out of 5 people say global warming is a very serious global problem, and 2 out of 3 say it will hurt future generations either a lot or a great deal if nothing is done to reduce it, according to the poll of 801 U.S. adults done in conjunction with Stanford University and Resources for the Future, a non-partisan research group, which funded the research.
“It seems obvious” the Earth is warming, said survey participant Ken Anderson, 30, a database administrator in West Valley, Utah, citing consensus among climate scientists about the overall issue. Yet, he says, “it will be more of a concern for my children and my children’s children.”
Also notable: 71 percent said they see the effects of global warming.
“Large majorities of Americans remain concerned about global warming,” says co-author Jon Krosnick, Stanford professor of communication, political science and psychology. Three out of 4 (73 percent) said global warming is “probably happening,” but somewhat more (85 percent) took that view in 2006.
Other climate polls – each with differently worded questions – say slightly fewer Americans believe global warming is real, but they also find that attitudes have stabilized.
The poll finds a slight majority of Americans, 55 percent, back a government limit on power plant emissions, and only 21 percent say it’s a “good idea” to get electricity from coal.
At least 75 percent of those surveyed said the United States should take steps soon to try to prepare for global warming, even if other nations do less. Nearly half, or 44 percent, say such actions will help the U.S. economy; 30 percent say they will hurt it.
Americans are increasingly reticent about boosting efficiency requirements for cars, appliances and buildings. Those who say government should require more fuel-efficient cars dropped from 44 percent in 2006 to 27 percent now. Those who favor such an approach for appliances fell from 41 percent to 26 percent in the same period.
Stephen Ansolabehere, government professor at Harvard University, said that shift may be because of a decline in the public’s confidence in the U.S. government.
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