Americans blow hot and cold on global warming
Is Planet Earth gradually warming up? If so, is this as a direct result of the activities of humanity? Those are two very simple yet hugely important questions being asked around the globe right now. And in America it seems that the number of people answering “Yes” to either one has reduced significantly over the last three years.
The majority of scientists around the globe firmly believe that global warming is happening and is a major problem. They also believe it’s at least been accelerated if not caused wholly as a result of the activities of humankind over the last two centuries since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
However, there are also a large number of disbelievers out there in the general population. And it seems the United States of America has more than its fair share of people who either don’t believe or don’t want to believe that global warming is a serious issue facing humanity as a whole.
A new survey by the Pew Research Center found that the last three years have seen a vast change in the number of believers. In 2006, 77 percent of those questioned believed there is strong scientific evidence that the planet is warming up. In 2009, that figure has dropped dramatically to 57 percent.
As to whether global warming is a serious problem or not: in 2008, 44 percent believed it was, while in 2009, just a year later, only 35 percent of Americans do. And what is to blame for rising temperatures? In 2008, 47 percent believed human activity was the core component, while in 2009 that figure has dropped to 36 percent.
One theory suggests that people’s views on global warming and the cause of the problem differs according to what other problems are going on in the world. So with the economy in bad shape and wars still raging in foreign climes, it seems most Americans have their eyes elsewhere.
Either way, for global warming to be dealt with efficiently, the U.S. needs to be on board. And at the moment it quite clearly isn’t on the same page as Europe and Asia in its efforts to try to slow down, stop, or even reverse the process some believe we’ve set in motion. Whether the government dare act against people’s wishes when it comes to imposing tough limits on pollution remains to be seen.
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