WHAT? WORRY ABOUT WARMING?

Fewer Americans, Europeans View Global Warming as a Threat; Worldwide, 42% see serious risk, similar to 2007-2008
Anita Pugliese and Julie Ray, April 20, 2011 (Gallup)

"Gallup surveys in 111 countries in 2010 find Americans and Europeans feeling substantially less threatened by climate change than they did a few years ago, while more Latin Americans and sub-Saharan Africans see themselves at risk…42% of adults worldwide…see global warming as a threat…[That has not changed] in the last few years, but increases and declines…in some regions reflect the divisions on climate change between the developed and developing world.

"Majorities in developed countries that are key participants in the global climate debate continue to view global warming as a serious threat, but their concern is more subdued than it was in 2007-2008. In the U.S., a slim majority (53%) currently see it as a serious personal threat, down from 63% in previous years…"

click to enlarge

"…[Concern] has also declined across western, southern, and eastern Europe…even more precipitously than in the U.S. In France, for example, the percentage saying global warming is a serious threat fell from 75% in 2007-2008 to 59% in 2010. In the United Kingdom, ground zero for the climate data-fixing scandal known as Climategate in 2009, the percentage dropped from 69% to 57% …

"…Latin Americans, who already were among the most aware of climate change and the most likely to view global warming as a personal threat, became even more aware and more concerned in 2010. Seventy-seven percent of Latin Americans claim to know at least something about climate change, and nearly as many see it as a personal threat (73%)…[perhaps because of] bad rainy seasons and flooding that leaders in the region…"

click to enlarge

"In sub-Saharan Africa, where populations are likely to be vulnerable to the effects of climate change, awareness is still among the lowest in the world, but was up in 2010. Nearly half of the adult population in the region (46%) say they are aware of climate change, up from 38% in 2007-2008…[T]he percentage who perceive climate change as a serious threat [also] increased slightly…

"The feuding between rich and poor nations at climate talks in Bangkok in April demonstrates the obstacles that remain before the world…[F]ewer Americans and Europeans, whose nations are central players in these talks, feel threatened by global warming today than they did in recent years. However, majorities in many of these countries still see climate change as a serious threat, which means the issue remains personally important…"