Survey: Large Majority of Americans Pessimistic About Global Warming

Associated Press and the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University conducted a 2007 telephone survey to establish the nations "report card" relevant to global climate change and government policy.

The 2007 report card was based on a telephone survey of a representative national sample of 1,001 American adults, who were interviewed from Sept. 21 to Sept. 23.

According to the second annual national public opinion survey, ''America's Report Card on the Environment," Americans remain pessimistic about the state of the environment and want prompt action taken to improve its health.

''The public's overall pessimism and general desire for action has remained constant during the past year,'' said Woods Institute senior fellow Jon A. Krosnick, the Frederic O. Glover Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Stanford, who designed the 2006 and 2007 surveys.

Pessimism is defined by the study as the expectation that the world's natural environment will be in worse shape in 10 years than it is in now and the opinion that the environment is in poor or very poor shape and will not improve.

Krosnick said that pessimism about the health of the natural environment is strongly related to beliefs about global warming. He noted that 84 percent of Americans believe that global warming is occurring. The survey found that 69 percent of the public is at least ''somewhat sure'' that global warming has been happening.

Regarding Pessimism and Global Warming

The survey found that 52 percent of Americans expect the world's natural environment to be in worse shape in 10 years than it is now. An additional 8 percent said the environment is in ''poor'' or ''very poor'' shape and will not improve-about the same as the 5 percent reported in 2006. Americans remain pessimistic about the state of the environment and want prompt action taken to improve its health.

Regarding Remedial Action

A bipartisan result, with 92 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans, shows that 84 percent of Americans want President Bush, Congress, American businesses and/or the American public to do ''a great deal'' or ''a lot'' to help the environment during the next year.

Regarding George Bush specifically: Only 7 percent of Americans surveyed say that Bush did ''a great deal'' or ''a lot'' to help the environment during the past year and 67 percent want him to do ''a great deal'' or ''a lot'' in the coming year.

Regarding U. S. businesses specifically: Only 8 percent of Americans believe that U.S. businesses did a great deal or a lot to help the environment during the past year and 71 percent want them to do a great deal or a lot to help the environment during the next year.

Regarding Congress specifically: All of 70 percent of Americans believe that Congress should do ''a great deal'' or ''a lot'' to help the environment during the next year.

Regarding Bush, Congress and Business Handling of Environmental Issues

A low 20 percent approved of the President's handling of the environmental issues. Fifty percent of Republicans approved of the president's performance on environmental issues. Eight percent of Democrats approved of the president's performance on environmental issues.

Sixteen percent of Americans approved of Congress's handling of the environment.

Approval of U.S. businesses' handling of the environment was 22 percent. The partisan ratings show that 31 percent of Republicans approved of U. S. businesses whereas 19 percent of Democrats approved.

Conclusions Drawn from Survey

A majority of Americans is pessimistic about the health of the environment, believing that it will get worse or is already in poor shape and will not improve.

A large majority of Americans still wants to see substantially greater effort made to help the environment.

Business are more frequently blamed for poor and declining environmental conditions. President Bush's policies are less frequently blamed for poor and declining environmental conditions.

A large majority of Americans is at least somewhat certain that global warming has been happening and that global warming will have at least somewhat serious consequences. This large majority is particularly likely to be pessimistic about the future of the environment.

Democrats are more pessimistic about the environment than Republicans. Democrats are also more supportive of remedial efforts.

Republicans are less pessimistic and less supportive of remedial efforts. But majorities of Republicans expressed negative views regarding global warming issues during 2007.

The 2007 survey was conducted by Krosnick and Trevor Tompson of the Associated Press, with support from the Woods Institute. The questionnaire used in the survey was designed by Krosnick and Gary Langer of ABC News. The report was written by Krosnick and Stanford doctoral student Brent Bannon in collaboration with Matthew DeBell, academic research and program director of the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences at Stanford.

Mark Schwartz, "Americans remain pessimistic about the environment, Stanford-AP survey finds," Stanford University.