From Rasmussen Reports: 41% Now Say Global Warming is Caused By Human Activity, More Say Planetary Trends
Most U.S. voters continue to be concerned about global warming but still are more inclined to think it’s caused by planetary trends rather than human activity.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters finds that 41% think global warming is caused primarily by human activity, while 47% say long-term planetary trends are to blame. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
This is consistent with findings for nearly two years. A higher percentage of voters have consistently blamed global warming on planetary trends rather than human activity since early February 2009 despite the insistence of President Obama, the United Nations and a large part of the world scientific community that humans are the bigger culprits.
Regardless of what’s to blame, voters take global warming seriously. Fifty-nine percent (59%) say it is at least a somewhat serious problem, including 32% who see it as Very Serious. But this concern has fallen since last November when the so-called ‘Climategate’ scandal broke, raising questions about the reliability of pro-global warming research. Thirty-eight percent (38%) now do not see global warming as a serious problem, including 16% who say it’s Not At All Serious.
The survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on December 7-8, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted byPulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Smokey-
I am not heavily partisan, Zogby was best is 2000 and has been terrible since. Ras has several problems with his model and approach, to not admit means you are heavily partisan and do not want good data. Gallup is a repub leaning firm, use them instead.
I love the BBC but they seem to really not get this. They are still going to have a special on warming in the coming weeks, truly clueless.
” 41% think global warming is caused primarily by human activity, while 47% say long-term planetary trends are to blame”
Long-term planetary trends such as . . . . . . . .
I’m posting from MN where we’re in the midst of a blizzard with 45 mph sustained wind, roads are closed, and whiteout conditions. Oh, and a foot of snow has fallen and there are already 6′ drifts.
Global warming hereabouts is much anticipated and would be greatly appreciated.
Missing from the Rasmussen poll is the question of where the ‘pollee’ gets news, old MSM vs internet and Fox . Many people, especially older ones, have never heard of Climategate, because they are entrapped by the Associated Press, Reuters, and the old local TV newscasts, all who never stop drumming the message of Al Gore.
tallbloke;
Cue the big pushback:
“Why don’t they believe us??”, he sobbed.
Heh, heh.
Kohl says:
December 11, 2010 at 3:18 pm
This is just too silly.
I don’t care if 99% of ‘the public’ say that global warming is caused by …..this…. or …..that…… . They are simply irrelevant to the truth.
Get a grip people! Science does not, repeat not, depend upon how many people propose a theory. Again and again in the history of science, individuals have shown the predominant paradigm to be wrong.
Therefor I cannot understand how such a poll as this is useful for anything except, perhaps, toilet paper.
Because, sweet Kohl, scientists do not control the public purse, nor conduct business, nor are they brave independent souls who refuse adamantly to cook their results to suit their paymasters.
Those whose livelihoods and futures are being put up against the wall by the forces manipulating climate science are turning against them. Not before time.
Owen says:
December 11, 2010 at 4:13 pm (Edit)
” 41% think global warming is caused primarily by human activity, while 47% say long-term planetary trends are to blame”
Long-term planetary trends such as . . . . . . . .
You see that bump on the left of the graph? That’s the medieval warm period that Mann now admits the existence of. Now, you see that big dip between then and now? That’s the little ice age. And we started coming out of that around 1700, long before co2 levels rose significantly.
Now, you see this chart of solar activity. The average number of sunspots from 1720 is around 40. The average in the second half of the C20th was going on double that.
http://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/nailing-the-solar-activity-global-temperature-divergence-lie/
I have found that far more people are open to the idea of disaster being a man-made thing than it being something natural. A lot of people seem to need someone- *anyone* – to blame for bad things in their life. I would be interesting to see a large scale poll done asking questions like: Do you think the world will end in your lifetime? Do you want the world to end in your lifetime? Who do you think is responsible for global climate change? Do you think someone should be punished for global climate change? etc.
Of course the questions would have to be better thought out – but I think the answers would be eye-opening.
Sorry I meant to add to my last comment: These questions should be specifically put to Scientific communities, Academic communities, government workers versus individual workers/professionals.
Tallbloke, You may be tall and probably are a bloke (in the best sense of the word), but your sunspot ideas are unique to you. We are at a 100 year minimum in solar activity as measured by both sunspots and TSI. Ellipticity of orbit, axial precession, and axial tilt all indicate we should be cooler, rather than warmer (see http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ctl/clisci100ka.html# ). People taking that Rasmussen poll have no idea of what is going on in climate science. We might as well ask a group of sheep (not that I have anything against sheep).
Now Owen, that might be a baaaad idea.
mutten good will come of it.
even if they come flocking to you…
I cannot see ANY poll being truly accurate. whether steps are taken to collect data from uncooperative people or not, there is still the opinion of the people that refused to take the poll. Why do they refuse to take the poll? Is it because they are truly cynical about the subject matter? Do they find the subject so ridiculous, so biased, and so pointless that they refuse?
maybe we need to take a poll on why people refuse to take polls.
I have three comments to make.
First, the poll does not allow for the middle way. Personally I’m quite happy to believe, having looked at various data quite carefully, that CO2 has an effect but only for about half of the recent warming. I think you’d find a big cadre to support that. And that’s important, because modest CO2 warming isn’t scary, and as we know, most Minnesotans are for it.
Second, the graphs show a dip in AGW support after Climategate, but then a rise again. This is worrying – it suggests that the MSM is succeeding in papering over the vast cracks in the walls of CAGW.
Third, re the difference in opinion in UK v US (and I am English), tallbloke’s link points to a February 2010 article. That is too old to count now.
Rich.
@Brad says:
December 11, 2010 at 4:05 pm
I love the BBC but they seem to really not get this. They are still going to have a special on warming in the coming weeks, truly clueless.
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I used to love the BBC but their immense bias and misinformation on this topic now makes me question almost anything they say. Strictly Come Dancing votes? We all know that they want Pamela Stephenson to win…;-)
I look forward to their “warming special” happening during the depths of another exceptionally cold winter (becoming less and less of an exception, of course).
The more the environutters scream out their message, the more normal, sane people will see through the insanity.
Brad,
Both Rasmussen (leans right) and Gallup (leans left) are close to accurate. This survey result is statistically significant.
Mauibrad
So now we’re “blaming” planetary trends, are we? The planet will be sooo upset.
and now I see Klimate Disruption has attacked the Minnesota dome in the form of a ‘snow caused roof collapse’, just two days before their Monday Night game pitting Brett Farve and the boys against the evil NY Giants or perhaps it was some gremlims.
Its the 41% of population that are unable to reason due to emotional insecurity and ignorance, who pose the most the most danger to human society. They will believe someone merely because they love or fear them. Replace AL Gore with a modern Joseph Goebels, and there is no difference except in physical appearance; Gore isnt wearing a Swatstika……yet.