Gallup Poll: Americans Less Concerned About Climate Change Now

A Gallup Poll found the percentage of Americans who believe climate change has been exaggerated climbed 7 percent to 48 percent in the last two years, the highest number since the poll began asking about the environment 13 years ago, E&E News PM reported. Gallup analysts said the change could be due to the stolen e-mail controversy, extreme snow events, and partisan polarization in the climate change debate.

Fifty-three percent said they believed climate change is real, down from 65 percent in 2008, while 35 percent said they believed climate change will never happen or will not happen in their lifetimes, up from 24 percent two years ago. Americans were evenly split over whether increases in the Earth's temperature were due to human activity, with 50 percent in the yes column and 46 percent in the no column. Only 52 percent said they believed scientists agreed that climate change is occurring, compared with 65 percent two years ago. Thirty-six percent said they thought most scientist were unsure if climate change is real, an increase of 10 percent from 2008.