Half of Americans fret over global warming: poll

The share of the US population concerned about climate change has reached a new high of 50 percent, according to a Gallup poll released Monday.


The number is up slightly from 47 percent in 2016 but a whopping 13 percentage points above the 37 percent recorded only two years ago, Gallup found.

There has long been a disconnect between the high proportions of Americans who believe global warming is real and even ascribe it to human activity, and the low priority Americans give to global warming as a policy issue and a factor in how they vote, Gallup said.

This is largely explained by the relatively low percentages of Americans who consider global warming a serious threat in their lifetimes or who say they worry a great deal about it, Gallup said.

That may be changing, however, as 50 percent of Americans now take all aspects of global warming seriously -- classifying them as what Gallup calls "Concerned Believers."

That contrasts with most years from 2001 through 2016, when Gallup found the majority qualifying as "Mixed Middle" or "Cool Skeptics" on the issue.
  [globaltimes.cn/Xinhua]
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