Poll Finds Support for Addressing Global Warming

By: Amanda Sterling
Topics: Polling

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

A poll released today by the Associated Press finds that many Americans believe that taking steps to slow global warming would create jobs and boost the economy, despite some Republicans' insistence that the opposite is true.

According to the poll results, 40 percent of the American public believes that efforts to reduce global warming pollution would create jobs, and 46 percent believe that addressing climate change would boost the economy. Less than one in three said taking steps to address global warming would hurt the economy and mean fewer jobs.

In addition, three in four say they would support some kind of climate change legislation. But they are unwilling to spend their own money to make it happen: a majority, 59 percent, said they would not support a cap-and-trade bill if it meant having to pay $10 more for electricity each month.

The White House and Democrats in Congress are working to craft a bill to curb emissions, potentially through a so-called cap-and-trade mechanism, and world leaders are currently gathered in Copenhagen to address the issue on an international level. Many in the GOP maintain that climate change legislation would compromise America's economic competitiveness.

"If President Obama has his way, the Copenhagen conference will produce mandatory emissions limits that would destroy millions of American jobs and damage our economic competitiveness for decades to come," Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told the AP.

These poll results contrast with a CBS News/New York Times poll released yesterday which showed that only 37 percent of Americans believe that global warming should be a priority for government leaders.

That was a significant decrease from April, when 52 percent said they believed the issue should be a priority.

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by Freedomforever88 January 2, 2010 9:58 AM EST: There are cold days, windy days, warm days, rainy days, and snowy days. The temperature and the weather of the earth change whether there are living animals, including humans, on this earth or not. There are other planets that are too warm to live on because of proximity to the sun. This warmth is not caused by SUV, oil or any other man made invention or discovery. Nature controls the temperature of the universe, not humans. If humans do have the power to warm the earth, then use that same power to cool it when things get too warm.; Reply to this comment

by MrJohnQPublic December 18, 2009 12:35 AM EST

The same AP poll stated this, as well:

December 15, 2009
An Associated Press-Stanford University poll (PDF) released today shows that just 31% of Americans believe that experts agree on the science behind global warming.

Question 22 in the poll asked ?Do you think most scientists agree with one another about whether or not global warming is happening, or do you think there is a lot of disagreement among scientists on this issue??

66% of respondents said that in their opinion ?most scientists disagree?.

CBS, why are you spinning the story?

Copernicus was a skeptic, Galileo was a skeptic, Newton was a skeptic, and Einstein was a skeptic.

It sounds like pretty good company.

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by j_mcdonald-2009 December 26, 2009 1:39 AM EST: Right, and in the same poll 63% favored the Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, while only 38% believed that we would be able to devise experiments to test M-theory. Remarkably, 93% believe that the LHC will attain sufficiently energetic collisions to definitely determine if the Higgs Boson exists.

What a wonder it is that we've climbed far enough out the the Medieval mindset that the populace at large is now intellectually engaged enough to make informed opinions on these matters.


by sunday42 December 17, 2009 3:45 PM EST: Take a look at the picture at the top of this article. Two cooling towers spewing water vapor and in the forefront the America flag. I would suppose this is another attempt to lure Americans into the global warming scare campaign and feel guilty. This whole global warming thing is nothing more than a highly structured scare tactic produced by the floks that want "One World Government". It's a money grab and that fact becomes increasingly clear daily. It's dung folks, pure and simple dung!; Reply to this comment


by fcs25 December 16, 2009 7:19 AM EST: What a bald faced lie.The "polls" show that Americans are losing interest and in general do not believe the global warming hype and spin by the liberal news media.CBS is nothing more than a nitwit for the liberal left wing.No wonder no one watches it any longer.; Reply to this comment


by Frozen_Canuck December 16, 2009 7:01 AM EST: No wonder CBS is losing readership. You really ought to go over and read a little on wattsupwiththat for a little education on the other side of the issue.

Check the details of the polls. It appears to me that support for AGW is at a historical low. The earth is warming according to the questionable data put out by CRU and NASA. But since they "adjust" and "homogenize" the data before publishing it, we actually don't know for sure since the " RAW" data from many stations that have been checked show NO warming at all. I can accept warming, I can accept a human contribution. But as I sit here in Alberta at 40 below Celsius every winter, I can not say I have seen much change in the last 64 years. I am still chipping ice off my water troughs for my livestock. It there is global warming, it somehow missed here. Course a half a degree Celsius wouldn't exactly be noticed in an environment that goes from minus 40 to plus 40 regularly and the normal period with snow on the ground is over 6 months. Some of us in the world could use a little warming. And I for one am doing my part. I just put another half cord of wood on my fire that I cut off my property to keep my house from freezing in this weather.

You theoretical warmers should come live in a tent in my pasture over the winter and see how much you like it. Not much I am betting.

My concern would be Global cooling, not global warming.

PS: who is paying all those demonstrators in Copenhagen to make fools of them selves. The Cap and Traders must have written a lot of cheques.; Reply to this comment


by felix_w December 16, 2009 12:44 AM EST: Sshivers wants to send me away because I happen to share some news that he (and CBS) prefer to ignore. This tells you everything you need to know about the global warming hysteria mongers. Facts are meaningless to them, and are thrown overboard when they come into conflict with ideology. That's fine, but stop pretending you have anything to do with science, which is a field that requires transparency and openness.; Reply to this comment

by felix_w December 15, 2009 6:47 PM EST

I suggest CBS News readers download the full results of this poll. You will learn about the findings CBS refuses to cover.

For example, two-thirds of those surveyed do NOT believe that a scientific consensus exists for global warming. 78% oppose increasing taxes on electricity to promote conservation. 77% oppose higher energy prices to promote conservation. 54% want to give companies tax breaks to build nuclear power plants. A clear majority opposes cap-and-trade if it increases their monthly bills.

But the CBS is not interested in reporting on those polling results. After you read the findings, you will be amazed at the dishonesty with which CBS covers this story.

Get real, people, this media outlet spins everything to promote its political ideology.

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by sshivers December 15, 2009 7:06 PM EST: Go back to FauxNews.com where you belong!

by ender3rd December 15, 2009 3:21 PM EST

These people who would not spend ten dollars to help fight climate change are probably the same people who never served their country. If you have never joined the military, then you should be taxed the equivalent of 4 years of your income to help offset the cost of carrying your dead weight.

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by fcs25 December 16, 2009 7:23 AM EST: The people that will not spend ten dollars on global warming are not stupid enough to believe the Al Gore hype and spin lies.Apparently you are.Glad you don't breed.