GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- The United Nations-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently issued a report warning of the catastrophic effects of global warming over the next century. The issue is, however, not the highest priority for Americans. In an April 2000 Gallup poll, global warming did not register as one of the major environmental concerns to the American public. The issue does not show up at all in Gallup's list of "most important problems facing the country" today. Still, the public sees global warming as more of a problem now than they did in previous years.
Specifically, 40% of Americans said last April that they worry about the problem "a great deal," 32% said they worry "a fair amount," 15% said "only a little" and 12% expressed no worry at all. To put that finding in context with other environmental problems tested, more than half of Americans worry "a great deal" about various types of water pollution (drinking – 72%, river/lake – 66%, ocean – 54%), as well as air pollution (59%), and soil contamination (64%).
Nonetheless, the percentage of Americans who say they have a great deal of concern about global warming (or the greenhouse effect) is up five points since Gallup began asking about it in 1989, and it is much higher than the concern level measured in 1997 (24%). And as global warming is a function of other environmental problems --air pollution, deforestation, and damage to the ozone layer -- the public's knowledge about and awareness of these may contribute, more than the figures would suggest, to greater public support for efforts to curb global warming.
Survey Methods
The results reported here are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,004 adults, 18 years and older, conducted April 3-9, 2000. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
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. First, how much do you personally worry about…[RANDOM ORDER A-M]
A.Ocean and beach pollution
|
A |
A fair amount |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
54 |
30 |
10 |
5 |
1 |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
50 |
32 |
13 |
4 |
1 |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
43 |
32 |
17 |
7 |
1 |
|
1997 Oct 27-28 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1991 Apr 11-14 |
53 |
26 |
14 |
6 |
1 |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
52 |
27 |
12 |
7 |
2 |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
60 |
23 |
11 |
5 |
1 |
B. Pollution of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
66 |
24 |
8 |
2 |
* |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
61 |
30 |
7 |
2 |
* |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
55 |
30 |
12 |
3 |
* |
|
1997 Oct 27-28 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1991 Apr 11-14 |
67 |
21 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
64 |
23 |
9 |
4 |
-- |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
72 |
19 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
C.Air pollution
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
59 |
29 |
9 |
3 |
* |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
52 |
35 |
10 |
3 |
* |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
47 |
33 |
16 |
4 |
* |
|
1997 Oct 27-28 |
42 |
34 |
18 |
5 |
1 |
|
1991 Apr 11-14 |
59 |
28 |
10 |
4 |
* |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
58 |
29 |
9 |
4 |
* |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
63 |
24 |
8 |
4 |
* |
D.Damage to the earth's ozone layer
|
A |
A fair amount |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
49 |
29 |
14 |
7 |
1 |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
44 |
32 |
15 |
8 |
1 |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1997 Oct 27-28 |
33 |
27 |
25 |
13 |
2 |
|
1991 Apr 11-14 |
49 |
24 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
43 |
28 |
15 |
10 |
4 |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
51 |
26 |
13 |
8 |
2 |
E.The loss of tropical rain forests
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
51 |
25 |
14 |
9 |
1 |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
49 |
30 |
14 |
6 |
1 |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1997 Oct 27-28 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1991 Apr 11-14 |
42 |
25 |
21 |
10 |
2 |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
40 |
24 |
19 |
14 |
3 |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
42 |
25 |
18 |
12 |
3 |
F.The loss of natural habitat for wildlife
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
51 |
31 |
13 |
5 |
* |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
51 |
31 |
13 |
5 |
* |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1997 Oct 27-28 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1991 Apr 11-14 |
53 |
27 |
15 |
5 |
1 |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
51 |
30 |
12 |
7 |
* |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
58 |
27 |
9 |
5 |
1 |
G.The "greenhouse effect" or global warming
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
40 |
32 |
15 |
12 |
1 |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
34 |
34 |
18 |
12 |
2 |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
28 |
31 |
23 |
16 |
2 |
|
1997 Oct 27-28 |
24 |
26 |
29 |
17 |
4 |
|
1991 Apr 11-14 |
35 |
27 |
22 |
12 |
5 |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
30 |
27 |
20 |
16 |
6 |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
35 |
28 |
18 |
12 |
7 |
H.Contamination of soil and water by toxic waste
|
A |
A moderate amount |
A slight amount |
None |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
64 |
25 |
7 |
4 |
* |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
63 |
27 |
7 |
3 |
* |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
55 |
29 |
11 |
5 |
* |
|
1997 Oct 26-28 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1991 Apr 11-14 |
62 |
21 |
11 |
5 |
1 |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
63 |
22 |
10 |
5 |
* |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
69 |
21 |
6 |
3 |
* |
I.Contamination of soil and water by radioactivity from nuclear facilities
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
52 |
23 |
16 |
9 |
* |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
48 |
27 |
16 |
8 |
1 |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1997 Oct 27-28 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1991 Apr 11-14 |
44 |
25 |
20 |
10 |
1 |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
48 |
23 |
17 |
10 |
2 |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
54 |
24 |
14 |
7 |
1 |
J.Acid rain
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
34 |
31 |
19 |
15 |
1 |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
29 |
35 |
23 |
11 |
2 |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1997 Oct 27-28 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1991 Apr 11-14 |
34 |
30 |
20 |
14 |
3 |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
34 |
30 |
18 |
14 |
4 |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
41 |
27 |
19 |
11 |
3 |
K.Pollution of drinking water
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
72 |
20 |
6 |
2 |
* |
|
1999 Apr 13-14 |
68 |
22 |
7 |
3 |
* |
|
1999 Mar 12-14 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1997 Oct 27-28 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
1991 Apr 11-4 |
67 |
19 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
|
1990 Apr 5-8 |
65 |
22 |
9 |
4 |
* |
|
1989 May 4-7 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
L.Extinction of plant and animal species
|
A |
A fair amount |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
45% |
33 |
14 |
8 |
* |
M.Urban sprawl and loss of open spaces
|
2000 Apr 3-9 |
42% |
31 |
14 |
12 |
1 |
*Less than 0.5%
