ABOUT A THIRD OF VOTERS THINK CLIMATE CHANGE IS OUR WORK

Energy Update; Only 34% Now Blame Humans for Global Warming
April 17, 2009 (Rasmussen Reports)

SUMMARY
A third of U.S. voters believe human activity is the cause of global climate change.

It is the lowest percentage ever recorded by the pollsters (Rasmussen).

If there is good news in the report, it is that almost half of opinion makers and leaders (the “political class”) believe climate change is caused by human activities.

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What do voters think is the cause? 48% attribute climate change to “long-term planetary trends.” 7% say the cause is “other.” 11% don’t know what causes it.

One year ago, 47% said climate change is caused by human activity and 34% said long term planetary trends.

51% of Democrats say humans cause it. 66% of Republicans and 47% of unaffiliated voters say they don’t cause it.

Thankfully, 62% believe climate change is a “Somewhat Serious” problem. 33% say it’s "Very Serious." 35% say it’s "Not Serious." The number who say "Very Serious" has gone down recently. Democrats (48%) take it more seriously than Republicans (19%) or unaffiliateds (25%).

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For the first time since Rasmussen has been asking the question, less than half of the electorate (49%) think President Obama believes climate change is caused by human activity. 19% say the President attributes climate change to long-term planetary trends.

48% give the president a good or excellent rating on energy issues. 32% give him a poor rating.

63% say finding new sources of energy is more important than reducing consumption. 29% say energy conservation is the priority.

The highest percentage of voters yet, 58%, want the U.S. to build more nuclear plants. That's a 5% increase over a month ago. 25% remain opposed to nuclear plant construction.

The economy is presently the most important issue to 40% of voters. 40% say there is a conflict between economic growth and environmental protection, though 31% see no conflict and 29% don’t know.

The national survey of 1,000 “Likely Voters” was onducted April 15-16, 2009 by Rasmussen. Margin of Error: +/- 3 percentage points (95% confidence).

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COMMENTARY
The case Al Gore made for human-caused global climate change was convincing enough to put a lot of people on alert. His work earned him an Academy Award and a Nobel Peace Prize. Yet a few years later, people seem to be forgetting his message.

Perhaps they don’t want to remember. Times are tough. It’s hard enough to find a job without worrying if the city where the job is will be under water soon. Or the site of riots over water or food or shelter.

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There has been an abundance of useful work on climate change. The information is everywhere. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shared the Nobel with Gore for its authoritative work and has since released updates documenting how much more urgent the situation has become.

350.org is a wonderful website that makes the case for how important global climate change is and what has to be done.

The web's resources are plentiful but can be confusing. NASA is reliable. One of the best ongoing scientific discussions is at Real Climate; Climate science from climate scientists.

Leaders in the grassroots anti-coal movement have called for an international fast and prayer day for April 20. (See FASTING FOR THE FUTURE) These poll numbers are certainly inspire the feeling of a need for intervention from a higher power.

There are those, however, who believe that on this earth the lord's work is left to human hands.

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QUOTES
John F. Kennedy, Innaugural Address: "...With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."
- Ted Glick, organizer, Fasting For Our Future: "…[W]e are entering a critical period in the struggle to get the U.S. government to act decisively on the climate crisis. With the introduction in the House Energy and Commerce Committee of the “American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009,” a process has been started that will lead to a vote in the full House this summer and in the Senate in the summer or fall. Hearings on this bill begin the week of April 20th…"We need federal legislation…We must slash greenhouse gas emissions…We must discourage the building of any new coal plants…100% of permits to pollute under a cap must be auctioned, or a substantial carbon fee must be enacted…[L]egislation [must provide] for a just transition for workers and communities… [Return] a substantial percentage of the money raised to the public…[Create] millions of green jobs and pathways out of poverty…[Assist] vulnerable communities and developing countries …[And enable a shift] to sustainable practices that support family farmers."