We hate polls
After yesterday’s historic steps to regulate emissions, we couldn’t help but think of the recent Pew Research Poll. The survey asked Americans to rank their priorities for President Obama, and “global warming” polled dead last.
Obviously, the survey indicated the public is focused on immediate economic problems. Energy was relatively high, which was good. Perhaps Amercans can learn how energy efficiency corresponds with potential job growth. So one component to take from the results is the need for education in green jobs, a movement that has been waiting in the wings and censored. Also, when we inevitably complain about gas prices again and energizing our homes, the public attention should shift toward climate policy. Alhough, that's a lazy stance.
It might not be too big of a conceptual leap for Americans to see how everything is connected. “Obama can effectively tie conservation, efficiency and renewable energy to jobs, sustainable growth and national security,” said Riley E. Dunlap, a sociologist at Oklahoma State University who studies public and political discourse on climate, in the NYT.
However seemingly indifferent the public was on Obama's emission regulations, consider this: General environmental protection ranked higher than climate change. Yet that had fallen too. Only 41 percent of voters called it a top priority, compared with 56 percent last January.
Another startling survey was a Rasmussen report that showed the public suddenly drifted from the belief of human impact on climate change. Instead, it’s now based on planetary trends. 44 percent were in favor of “cycles,” while 41 percent blamed “CO2.” But in July 2006, 46 percent of voters said global warming was caused by human activities, while 35 percent said it was long-term planetary trends. Maybe the jury is still out on science. Maybe “global warming” is a simply an archaic misnomer. Our friend over at Seattle Dirt, Brandi Bratrube thinks so. She wrote a passionate open letter addressing disbelievers. The term is designed to “confuse readers and allow them to make the argument that ‘some places are cooling, so global warming is not happening…’ What is actually happening is called Global Climate Change. There are places on the planet that are cooling due to the affects of CO2 emissions, and there are places that are warming up.” 
Meanwhile, the skeptics are indeed still out there, and some are even shouting in Spokane, proud to have Sen. David Inhofe as their ship’s captain. (Check out Grist’s brilliant “How To Talk To A Climate Skeptic.”)
We believe the slide in environmental concern and climate change is a transitory issue itself rather than the other way around. History might be on our side but it will take an even greater effort and continuity to raise the public awareness, a socio-economic convergence. For the Morrissey fans: How soon is now?
