Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Americans now believe there is a significant disagreement within the scientific community over global warming, up seven points from early December just after the so-called “Climategate” scandal involving doctored or deliberately undisclosed scientific evidence first broke. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that a quarter of adults (25%) think scientists do agree on global warming, showing no change from the earlier survey. Fifteen percent (15%) are not sure.
Just 16% say stopping global warming to save the environment is a bigger priority for our national leaders than stimulating the economy to create jobs. A sizable majority (72%) say creating jobs is the bigger priority. These results show little change from past polling.
The increase in skepticism about scientific research on global warming is consistent with trends found in separate surveys about the cause of climate change. In April 2008, 47% of voters blamed human activity for global warming, while only 34% viewed long-term planetary trends as the cause. Since then, these results have reversed, and now long-term planetary trends are seen as the chief culprit for global warming. Still, international leaders, including President Obama, continue to work on a UN-sponsored global treaty aimed at reducing the human activity they believe is to blame for global warming.
Twenty-one percent (21%) of adults say Americans are being selfish by putting their economic concerns ahead of the fight against global warming. Sixty percent (60%) disagree with this assessment, and 20% are undecided.
In the December survey, 59% of Americans said it was at least somewhat likely that some scientists have falsified research data to support their own theories and beliefs about global warming. That number included 35% who said it was very likely.
Seventy-five percent (75%) of Republicans and 65% of adults not affiliated with either major party say there is significant disagreement within the scientific community over global warming. But Democrats are almost evenly divided on the question
Younger adults feel slightly more strongly than their elders that preventing global warming should be a bigger priority for the nation's leaders.
Separate polling also finds that voters continue to show less worry about global warming.
Most Americans see a need for major lifestyle cutbacks to help the environment, but even more don’t think that's likely to happen.
In the beginning of the year, 43% of adults said global warming was creating climate changes that lead to more extreme weather events. Just as many (43%), however, did not believe this to be true. Fourteen percent (14%) were not sure.
Voters support offshore oil drilling more than ever, and most don’t agree with the president’s decision to limit where that drilling can be done.
