Some 80 percent of Americans surveyed this month for a new Gallup Poll said they agree with the goals of the environmental movement, and 16 percent said they are actively involved in the movement. Public support for the environmental cause is higher now than it was on the first Earth Day, nearly 30 years ago, said poll coordinator Riley Dunlap, but it’s slightly lower than it was in 1990, after several events drew attention to environmental problems, most notably the Exxon Valdez oil spill. About a quarter of those polled believe a great deal of progress has been made in dealing with environmental problems. The poll also found that environmental issues don’t rank as high in the presidential race as education, health care, crime, family values, and the economy.
