Check out the latest polling by Stanford University:
1. 78% of U.S. adults believe global warming is very (44%) or somewhat (34%) serious. Just 10% say it’s “not serious at all.”
2. 83% of U.S. adults say that if nothing is done to reduce global warming, it will be a “very serious” problem (57%) or “somewhat serious” problem (26%). Just 9% say it won’t be a serious problem at all.
3. Only 30% of U.S. adults give the incorrect response that dealing with global warming would hurt the U.S. economy. 42% give the CORRECT response, which is that dealing with global warming will actually HELP the economy, while 24% say it will have no effect (also the wrong answer).
Now, check out the responses to various statements on the issue. First, U.S. adults by a more than 5:1 margin say they would be MORE LIKELY to vote for a candidate who says that global warming has been taking place, has been caused by human combustion of fossil fuels, and that it’s time to switch to renewable energy right away. Second, U.S. adults overwhelmingly say they’d be LESS LIKELY to vote for a candidate who claims “global warming is a hoax” or a “fraud,” and that we should stick with fossil fuels and basically “drill baby drill!” Finally, the pathetic copout statement that “I’m not a scientist” blah blah blah, or the wild lie that taking any action would hurt our economy/kill American jobs, results in 27% more likely to vote for such a candidate, 44% LESS likely to vote for such a candidate.
4. Finally, it’s important to note that the above numbers are skewed by…take a guess – yeah, Teapublicans. But here’s the amazing thing: not even Teapublicans buy the bull**** statements about climate change being a “hoax,” while by a 2:1 margin even Teapublicans say they’d be MORE LIKELY to vote for a candidate who agrees that global warming has been happening AND has been caused by humans AND that we should transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. Of course, the members of Congress (and state legislatures) who are 100% bought-and-paid-for by the fossil fuel industry will be hard to sway from their insane anti-science stances, but perhaps the thought of losing their next election might cause them to shift their thinking a bit? 🙂
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