The Uncertain Majority

The American Climate Values survey--conducted by the lefty non-profit ecoAmerica--contains some good news (at 17), notably that "only 18 percent of survey respondents strongly believe that climate change is real, human-caused and harmful." (Surveys of the British public showed similar results.) The study (at 29) also found that Americans prefer libertarian to communal values.

The report also includes interesting demographics, summarized by blogger Anthony Watts and the Nature Conservancy:

[P]olitical party affiliation is the single largest indicator as to whether people see climate change as a threat.

It seems it is all political, as there are some other fascinating tidbits. For example:

* Convinced it’s happening: 54 percent of Republicans, 90 percent of Democrats.
* Think that weather has gotten more severe: 44 percent of Republicans; 77 percent of Democrats.
* Noticed the climate changing: 54 percent of Republicans; 84 percent of Democrats.
* Trust Al Gore when he talks about global warming: 22 percent of Republicans; 71 percent of Democrats.
* Trust environmentalists who talk about global warming: 38 percent of Republicans; 71 percent of Democrats.
* Trust anyone who talks about global warming: 39 percent of Republicans; 75 percent of Democrats.

Next time someone says the public demands that government remedy global warming, remember that 18 percent of Americans think the sun revolves around the earth.

(via Planet Gore, Tom Nelson)