Gallup: Global warming skepticism growing in U.S.

A record 41 percent now say news coverage of global warming is exaggerated, while 57 percent say coverage is generally on the mark or underestimated.

By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune

Last update: March 12, 2009 - 12:09 PM

More Americans are skeptical about the seriousness of global warming than ever before, according to a survey released this week by the Gallup organization.

A record 41 percent now say news coverage of global warming is exaggerated, while 57 percent say coverage is generally on the mark or underestimated. As recently as 2006, Gallup found that 30 percent viewed news coverage of global warming as exaggerated vs. 66 who did not.

Gallup conducted the survey in telephone interviews with 1,012 national adults March 5-8, 2009. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The poll also found that Republicans are more doubtful about global warming than Democrats or Independents. By age, older respondents were more skeptical than younger people.

Gallup also found that those questioned were more concerned about several other environmental issues -- polluted water, toxins in the soil, loss of the rain forests, etc. -- than global warming.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

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