New poll declares environmental movement still around
Just in time for Earth Day, a USA Today/Gallup poll has hit the scene to tell Americans how they feel about the environment. To wit: 60 percent of us believe that global warming is happening now, and even more of us think it will, uh, continue to happen. In true bootstrap form, most U.S. folk believe that they should be taking green actions to help the climate, in the form of CFLs, hybrids, and energy-efficient homes. Nearly 90 percent of Americans recycle, while 85 percent aim to reduce energy use. OK, so that’s great on the individual scale, but what about systemic change? Um … two-thirds of Americans favor more energy research, and about the same percentage are opposed to government-mandated restrictions on utilities and industries. Sigh. Still, we take heart in the conclusion of one Gallup scholar: “This year’s results suggest that pronouncements of the ‘death of environmentalism’ have been premature.” We ain’t dead yet!
