According to Inside Climate News, the Republican presidential debates may have caused more Americans to believe in global climate change. 
A new Reuters/Stanford poll found that the percentage of Americans who believe the Earth has been warming rose to 83 percent from 75 percent. Jon Krosnick, a political science professor at Stanford University said Americans are forced to think about their stance on global warming when watching Republicans debate climate change, according to Inside Climate News. The only people who do not think climate change is happening are Tea Party members. A Yale University and George Mason University poll found that 78 percent of Democrats, 71 percent of Independents, and 53% of Republicans believe in global climate change, while only 34 percent of tea Party members do. Tea Party members that do believe in global climate change believe that it is caused by natural events versus man made ones. Respondents to the poll who believe in global climate change feel that the Congress and President need to make this a priority of public policy. Americans for the last thirty years have always prioritized the environment over the economy, but since the last economic downturn the economy has now risen to the top of poll respondents concerns. The poll results show that Americans get the global climate concerns, and that Congress and the President need to respond to the majority’s concerns over global climate change.
Photo Credit: John Vlahakis
John,
Another good article. I think what we have is a “two-part” issue here. We know that the more people that we have on earth the more fuel, food, and water problems that we are going to have. The countries with high population growth rates are the core problem. We certainly add to the problem by overeating, by overusing resources, and by using the least efficient approaches. This makes the U.S. the biggest issue where we have perverse Government incentives.