Environment

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Environment See also: Energy | Science and Nature

Polls listed chronologically. Data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older.

ABC News/Planet Green/Stanford University poll. July 23-28, 2008. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3. Fieldwork by TNS.
						.
"How would you rate the condition of the natural environment in the world today: excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
						.
		Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor	Very Poor
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	3	21	38	28	9
	4/5-10/07	3	20	41	26	9
	3/9-14/06	3	21	43	25	8
						.
"What in your opinion is the single biggest environmental problem the world faces at this time?" If "air pollution" or "pollution": "What about air pollution/pollution do you have in mind?"
						.
			7/23-28/08	4/5-10/07	3/9-14/07
			%	%	%
	Global warming/Climate change		25	33	16
	Air pollution		12	13	13
	Energy problems		11	7	10
	Pollution (misc.)		7	8	7
	Toxic substances in environment		6	6	7
	Water pollution		5	5	6
	Loss of habitat/Overdevelopment		4	4	7
	Waste/Not enough recycling		4	3	9
	Other		14	11	16
	None		3	1	2
	Unsure		8	8	7
						.
"You may have heard about the idea that the world's temperature may have been going up slowly over the past 100 years. What is your personal opinion on this? Do you think this has probably been happening, or do you think it probably has not been happening?"
						.
		Has Been	Hasn't Been	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	80	18	2
	4/5-10/07	84	13	3
	3/9-14/06	85	13	2
						.
"How important is the issue of global warming to you personally: extremely important, very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important?"
						.
		Extremely Important	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not at All Important
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	16	30	32	13	9
	4/5-10/07	18	34	30	8	9
	3/9-14/06	17	33	32	10	8
						.
"Do you think the federal government should do more than it's doing now to try to deal with global warming, should do less than it's doing now, or is it doing about the right amount?"
						.
		More	Less	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	61	10	27	2
	4/5-10/07	70	7	21	2
	3/9-14/06	68	5	25	1
						.
"Do you think the United States should take action on global warming only if other major industrial countries such as China and India agree to do equally effective things, that the United States should take action even if these other countries do less, or that the United States should not take action on this at all?"
						.
		Take Action Only if Others Do	Take Action Even if Others Do Less	Not Take Action at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	18	68	13	2
						.
"If the United States does more than other countries to address global warming, do you think that would help the U.S. economy, hurt the U.S. economy or have no effect?"
						.
		Help	Hurt	Not Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	33	32	29	6
						.
"Which do you think would do a better job reducing global warming: the government, through laws intended to reduce the output of greenhouse gases, or businesses, through competition in the market system?" Options rotated
						.
		Government	Business	Both Equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	43	45	8	4
						.
"A person's 'carbon footprint' is the amount of greenhouse gases put out as a result of his or her energy use. That includes energy used directly, like electricity and fuel, as well as the energy it takes to make all the products you use. Are you personally doing anything to reduce your carbon footprint, or not?"
						.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	71	28	1
						.
"Some companies make products that they say help the environment because they're made using recycled materials, don't use chemicals or will decompose naturally after being used. Do you personally try to buy these products, or not?"
						.
		Yes	No
		%	%
	7/23-28/08	67	32
						.
"There's a proposed system called 'cap and trade.' The government would issue permits limiting the amount of greenhouse gases companies can put out. Companies that did not use all their permits could sell them to other companies. The idea is that many companies would find ways to put out less greenhouse gases, because that would be cheaper than buying permits. Would you support or oppose this system?"
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	59	34	7
						.
"On another subject, would you be more or less likely to vote for a candidate for president if that person is a strong environmentalist, or wouldn't that have much effect on your vote one way or the other?"
						.
		More Likely	Less Likely	Not Much Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	42	6	50	2
	3/99	46	15	36	2
						.
"Do you consider yourself an environmentalist or not?"
						.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/23-28/08	41	58	1

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. June 26-29, 2008. N=1,026 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"With which one of these statements about the environment and the economy do you most agree? Protection of the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of curbing economic growth. OR, Economic growth should be given priority, even if the environment suffers to some extent."
					.
		Environment Given Priority	Economic Growth Given Priority	Both Equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/26-29/08	49	44	6	1

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. June 4-5, 2008. N=1,035 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Which of the following statements comes closest to your view of global warming? Global warming is a proven fact and is mostly caused by emissions from cars and industrial facilities such as power plants and factories. Global warming is a proven fact and is mostly caused by natural changes that have nothing to do with emissions from cars and industrial facilities. Global warming is a theory that has not yet been proven."
					.
		Fact: Cars, Industry	Fact: Natural Changes	An Unproven Theory	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/4-5/08	54	22	23	1
	10/12-14/07	56	21	21	2
	5/4-6/07	54	20	22	4
					.
"One plan to reduce global warming would have the government set a limit on the amount of those emissions that companies could produce each year. Companies that exceed that limit would face fines or higher taxes, but they could avoid those penalties by paying money to other companies that produced fewer emissions than allowed. Would you favor or oppose this proposal?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/4-5/08	52	45	3

Gallup Poll. March 6-9, 2008. N=1,012 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"With which one of these statements about the environment and the economy do you most agree? Protection of the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of curbing economic growth. OR, Economic growth should be given priority, even if the environment suffers to some extent." Options rotated
						.
		Environment	Economic Growth	Equal Priority (vol.)	Unsure	.
		%	%	%	%	.
	3/6-9/08	49	42	5	3	.
	3/11-14/07	55	37	4	4	.
	3/13-16/06	52	37	6	4	.
	3/7-10/05	53	36	7	4	.
	3/04	49	44	4	3	.
	3/03	47	42	7	4	.
	3/02	54	36	5	5	.
	3/01	57	33	6	4	.
	4/00	67	28	2	3	.
						.
"All in all, which of the following best describes how you feel about the environmental problems facing the earth? Life on earth will continue without major environmental disruptions only if we take additional, immediate, and drastic action concerning the environment. We should take some additional actions concerning the environment. OR, We should take just the same actions we have been taking on the environment."
						.
		Immediate, Drastic action	Some Additional Actions	Same Actions	Unsure	.
		%	%	%	%	.
	3/6-9/08	34	52	13	1	.
						.
"I'm going to read you a list of environmental problems. As I read each one, please tell me if you personally worry about this problem a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or not at all. How much do you personally worry about [see below]?"
						.
		Great Deal	Fair Amount	Only a Little	Not at All	.
		%	%	%	%	.
						.
	"Pollution of drinking water"
	3/6-9/08	53	28	13	6	.
	3/11-14/07	58	24	12	5	.
	3/13-16/06	54	27	12	7	.
	3/8-11/04	53	24	17	6	.
						.
	"Pollution of rivers, lakes and reservoirs".
	3/6-9/08	50	34	12	4	.
	3/11-14/07	53	31	13	3	.
	3/13-16/06	51	33	11	5	.
	3/8-11/04	48	31	16	5	.
						.
	"Contamination of soil and water by toxic waste".
	3/6-9/08	50	30	14	6	.
	3/11-14/07	52	28	13	7	.
	3/13-16/06	52	29	13	6	.
	3/8-11/04	48	26	21	5	.
						.
	"Maintenance of the nation's supply of fresh water for household needs"
	3/6-9/08	48	31	15	5	.
	3/11-14/07	51	27	16	5	.
	3/13-16/06	49	27	14	9	.
	3/8-11/04	47	25	20	8	.
						.
	"The loss of natural habitat for wildlife"				.	.
	3/6-9/08	44	33	17	6	.
						.
	"Air pollution".
	3/6-9/08	43	35	17	6	.
	3/11-14/07	46	33	15	5	.
	3/13-16/06	44	34	15	7	.
	3/8-11/04	39	30	23	8	.
						.
	"The loss of tropical rain forests"				.	.
	3/6-9/08	40	29	20	11	.
	3/11-14/07	43	30	17	10	.
	3/13-16/06	40	24	22	13	.
	3/8-11/04	35	26	23	15	.
						.
	"Damage to the earth's ozone layer"				.	.
	3/6-9/08	39	29	19	12	.
	3/11-14/07	43	27	19	11	.
	3/13-16/06	40	28	19	13	.
	3/8-11/04	33	27	26	14	.
						.
	"Extinction of plant and animal species"				.	.
	3/6-9/08	37	31	20	11	.
	3/11-14/07	39	30	19	12	.
	3/13-16/06	34	29	23	14	.
	3/8-11/04	36	26	23	15	.
						.
	"The 'greenhouse effect,' or global warming"				.	.
	3/6-9/08	37	29	16	17	.
	3/11-14/07	41	24	18	16	.
	3/13-16/06	36	26