Hard to believe

A December 2009 poll by Harris Interactive found that Americans have become more skeptical of global warming of late. When they first asked the question about belief in climate change in 1997, 67 percent of those who responded said yes. That number steadily rose to a high of 75 percent in 2001, with a slight decline from 2002 to 2007 and then a sudden dip in 2009 to just 51 percent. The poll also found that 28 percent of those who believe in climate change identify themselves as Republicans, while 68 percent are Democrats and 49 percent are independents. Below are some statistics from the poll indicating changing perceptions on the truth of global warming.

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  1997 2000 2009 Believe in climate change 67 72 59 Do not believe 21 20 29 Don’t know 12 9 21 It’s very serious 47 46 41 It’s somewhat serious 40 39 34 It’s not serious 11 13 22 Not sure 2 1 4