CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL

For release: Monday, Septe!er "", "#$%

&:'# p E(T
)er*+ans ,*e-s. on /lo!al War*n0 and t1e En2*ronent
September 10-14, 2014
Ahead of the U.N. Climate Summit at the United Nations this week, most Amerians sa! "lobal
warmin" is ha#in" a serious impat now or will in the future, and $4% think it is mostl! aused
b! human ati#it! -- the hi"hest perenta"e in C&S News'New (ork )imes *olls.
4+% sa! "lobal warmin" is a problem that is ha#in" a serious impat now, while another 2,%
think it will ha#e a serious impat sometime in the future. About a -uarter don.t think "lobal
warmin" will ha#e a serious impat at all. )hese #iews ha#e han"ed little in reent !ears.
Ipa+t o3 /lo!al War*n0
)otal /eps 0ems 1nds
Serious impat now 4+% 2+% +1% 42%
3ill ha#e serious impat in future 2, 41 2$ 22
3on.t ha#e serious impat 24 42 12 22
5n a more personal le#el, $2% of Amerians don.t think "lobal warmin" will be a serious threat
to them durin" their lifetime, but four in 10 think it will.
*erhaps beause the! are likel! to ha#e more !ears ahead of them, $0% of Amerians under
a"e 40 think "lobal warmin" will pose a serious threat to them in their lifetime, ompared to 40%
of those who are older - but e#en !oun"er Amerians are di#ided in their opinions.
)here are partisan differenes too. )hree in four /epublians don.t feel "lobal warmin" will be a
threat to them personall!, but $+% of 0emorats disa"ree.
W*ll /lo!al War*n0 Pose a Ser*o4s T1reat to Yo4 *n yo4r L*3et*e5
)otal 1,-26 407 /eps 0ems 1nds
(es 42% $0% 40% 24% $+% 41%
No $2 46 $6 2+ 42 $2
3hen asked about the primar! ause of "lobal warmin", $4% of Amerians think it is the result
of human ati#it!. Another 41% think it is due to natural flutuations in the earth.s temperature.
5ne in ten doesn.t think "lobal warmin" e8ists.
)he perenta"e who belie#es "lobal warmin" is aused b! human ati#it! has tiked up sine
the sprin" and is now the hi"hest it has been sine C&S News be"an askin" this -uestion in
2011.
/lo!al War*n0 (4e to:
Now $'2014 4'2014 6'2011
9uman ati#it! $4% 46% $2% 42%
Natural patterns 41 44 26 44
0oes not e8ist 10 11 10 12
:ost 0emorats and independents think "lobal warmin" is mostl! aused b! human ati#it!,
while /epublians are inlined to sa! it is mainl! due to natural patterns in the earth.s
en#ironment.
/lo!al War*n0 (4e to:
)otal /eps 0ems 1nds
9uman ati#it! $4% 4$% +2% $$%
Natural patterns 41 42 22 26
0oes not e8ist 10 1, 4 10
3hen asked diretl! to hoose between the en#ironment and the eonom!, $,% of Amerians
think protetin" the en#ironment should be the priorit!, e#en at the risk of urbin" eonomi
"rowth, while 42% pik eonomi "rowth, e#en if the en#ironment suffers to some e8tent.
(oun"er Amerians ;those under a"e 40< are espeiall! likel! to prioriti=e protetin" the
en#ironment o#er eonomi "rowth.
Conser#ati#es ;$2%< and /epublians ;$1%< plae a priorit! on eonomi "rowth, while
0emorats ;+4%< and liberals ;2,%< think the protetion of the en#ironment is more important.
W1*+1 S1o4ld !e /*2en Pr*or*ty5
)otal 1,-26 407 /eps 0ems 1nds
*rotetion of en#ironment $,% 24% $4% 40% +4% +4%
>onomi "rowth 42 2$ 40 $1 44 41
Still, when Amerians are asked to name the ountr!.s most important problem, without bein"
offered a list of hoies, the eonom! and ?obs is the top answer, far ahead of the en#ironment.
Amerians who sa! "lobal warmin" is primaril! aused b! human ati#it! are espeiall! likel! to
see it as a serious threat and to sa! protetin" the en#ironment should be a priorit! o#er
eonomi "rowth.
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)his poll was onduted b! telephone September 10-14, 2014 amon" 1,000 adults nationwide. 0ata
olletion was onduted on behalf of C&S News and )he New (ork )imes b! SS/S of :edia, *A.
*hone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and ell phones. )he error due to
samplin" for results based on the entire sample ould be plus or minus three perenta"e points.
1nter#iews were onduted in >n"lish and Spanish. )his poll release onforms to the Standards of
0islosure of the National Counil on *ubli *olls.
CBS NEWS/ NEW YORK TIMES POLL
Americans Views on Go!a Warmin" an# $%e En&ironmen$
Se'$em!er ()*(+, -)(+
GW-1. What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?
TOTAL RESPON.ENTS
%
Economy/ Jobs !
"resident/#arack $bama !
"o%erty/homelessness &
#udget de'cit /national debt &
(mmigration/illegal immigrants )
*iscellaneous social issues )
Education )
War/peace +general, )
"oliticians/Go%ernment )
Go%ernment/-obbyists )
*oral %alues/family %alues )
.errorism +general, )
/ealth 0are
"artisan politics
0ommunity
1eligious %alues
(ncome gap
En%ironment/global 2arming 1
$ther )
3on4t kno2/1efused &
GW-. With 2hich one of these statements about the en%ironment and the economy do you most
agree 5 protection of the en%ironment should be gi%en priority6 e%en at the risk of curbing
economic gro2th or economic gro2th should be gi%en priority6 e%en if the en%ironment su7ers to
some e8tent?
TOTAL RESPON.ENTS
.otal 1ep 3em (nd
% % % %
"rotection of en%ironment
should be gi%en priority !9 &: ;) ;)
Economic gro2th should be
gi%en priority )< !1 )& )1
3on4t kno2/1efused ; = ) ;
GW-). 3o you think global 2arming is an en%ironmental problem that is causing a serious impact
no26 or do you think the impact of global 2arming 2on>t happen until sometime in the future6 or
do you think global 2arming 2on>t ha%e a serious impact at all?
TOTAL RESPON.ENTS
.otal 1ep 3em (nd *ay1&c
% % % % %
(mpact no2 &; ; ;1 &< &;
(n the future 9 )1 ! < )1
?o serious impact & & 1 :
3oesn4t e8ist +@ol., 1 A 1 --
3on4t kno2/1efused 1 A 1 &
GW-&. Which statement comes closest to your %ie2 about global 2arming? Global 2arming is
caused mostly by human acti%ity such as burning fossil fuels or Global 2arming is caused mostly
by natural patterns in the earth>s en%ironment or Global 2arming does not e8ist.
/uman acti%ity !& )! ;< !! &=
?atural patterns )1 & < = ))
Global 2arming does not e8ist 1: 19 ) 1: 11
0aused by both +@ol., ) & & )
3on>t kno2 2hat causes it +@ol., 1 A 1 1
3on4t kno2/1efused 1 1 A 1
GW-!. 3o you think that global 2arming 2ill pose a serious threat to you or your 2ay of life in
your lifetime6 or not?
Will pose serious threat & & !; &1
Will not pose serious threat !< <; & !<
3on4t kno2/1efused 1 - 1
Bn2eighted Weighted
.otal 1espondents 1:::
.otal 1epublicans )9 !
.otal 3emocrats == 91
.otal independents &;) &=!
Margin of error for total sample: 3 pts