One Quarter of All Americans are Skeptical of Global Warming -Gallup

[Frodo]

Human-induced global warming, that is:

One in Four in U.S. Are Solidly Skeptical of Global Warming:
Nearly 40% are "Concerned Believers" in global warming, others are mixed

by Lydia Saad
April 22, 2014

PRINCETON, NJ -- Over the past decade, Americans have clustered into three broad groups on global warming. The largest, currently describing 39% of U.S. adults, are what can be termed "Concerned Believers" -- those who attribute global warming to human actions and are worried about it. This is followed by the "Mixed Middle," at 36%. And one in four Americans -- the "Cool Skeptics" -- are not worried about global warming much or at all.



The rate of Concerned Believers has varied some over the past decade and half, but is currently identical to the earliest estimate, from 2001. Over the same period of time, the ranks of Cool Skeptics have swelled, while the Mixed Middle -- once the largest group -- has declined modestly.

These groupings stem from a special "cluster" analysis of four questions that measure Americans' belief and concerns about human-induced global warming, all of which have been asked together on Gallup's annual Environment survey seven times since 2001. The latest results are from the March 6-9, 2014, Environment poll. However, the groupings derive from analysis of seven years of combined data.
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[angus]

Sure you're not a closet Yankee?  We always take situations in which a comparative is not only sufficient but also preferable, and turn them into excuses to use a superlative.  It's part of our culture, and not one of the better parts.

It strikes again.

Also, it would be nice if either you or Gallup posted the actual question that was being asked.

[MaxQue]

Sure you're not a closet Yankee?  We always take situations in which a comparative is not only sufficient but also preferable, and turn them into excuses to use a superlative.  It's part of our culture, and not one of the better parts.

It strikes again.

Also, it would be nice if either you or Gallup posted the actual question that was being asked.

It's written than those groups are created from the answers to 4 questions.

[angus]

...which is exactly my point.  

One needn't be a "concerned believer" or a "cool skeptic"

The mean global surface temperature is increasing.  No serious person denies this.  The cause?  Many believe that it is at least in part caused by anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide.  Do those of us who do make decisions in the shadow of that belief day by day?  I seriously doubt it.  

It's a very sensationalistic presentation.  I'm a little surprised, as Gallup is generally a fairly respectable organization.

[MurrayBannerman]

I'm a believer in the concept who's skeptical on the timeline. I have no idea where I'd fit here.

[AggregateDemand]

The earth stopped warming and skepticism ascended. Damn those fundamentalist Christians.

If for one believe that anthropogenic greenhouse gases cause warming. I also believe it's a tiny fraction of the overall climate temperature trends. Cooling is more scary anyway. Humans tend to do better when the earth is warm. When the earth is cool, civilization falls apart. We fear mini ice ages of -.5C or -1C. Imagine -6C as seen in the ice core data.

Much more scary.

[Zioneer]

I'm a believer in the concept who's skeptical on the timeline. I have no idea where I'd fit here.

Same here.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

They say it's a "cluster analysis" of these four questions:


Looks like more than 1/4 are skeptical, since that can describe some of the responses among the "mixed middle" (ex. the number of people who think it is exaggerated).
I'm somewhat skeptical but still recognize there are reasons to be concerned.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Hence why 'global warning' should be replaced wholesale with climate change.

The Earth did not stop warming in 2000, there were still record global highs. The issue is the balance, that is being thrown utterly out of whack.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I'd consider myself in the mixed middle.  I believe the global temperature increase is a combination of mainly natural factors with a measurable and not insignificant human impact.

I believe the impacts are exaggerated and I don't think it poses a major threat to my way of life within my lifetime.  I believe we will transition away from carbon based fossil fuels anyway and that the expected warming from future emissions will be on the low end or even below the low end of computer model projections.

This will have some major negative impacts that will strike unevenly across the world and will thus be difficult to pin to greenhouse warming.  But ultimately I think natural factors will dominate the actual temperature trend.

[angus]

I'd consider myself in the mixed middle.  I believe the global temperature increase is a combination of mainly natural factors with a measurable and not insignificant human impact.

Maybe you're just a "cool believer."  I think that's how I am as well, since I'm probably only somewhat concerned about all this.  Like you, I think the impacts will be felt unevenly.  I differ from you a little in that I would say furthermore that should the politicians in the United States should give high priority to joining global initiatives involving greenhouse gas target goals, because that is how it can ensure that natural factors dominate the actual trend.