I’m seeing lots of links to this ScienceDaily story on Anthony Leiserowitz, a prof at the Univ. of Oregon who studies public risk perception. I mentioned his work here, and once called to ask him to contribute to Gristmill. Apparently he hadn’t gotten the memo that Blogs Are The Future.
Here’s the gist:
Most Americans believe global warming is real but a moderate and distant risk. While they strongly support policies like investing in renewable energy, higher fuel economy standards and international treaties, they strongly oppose carbon taxes on energy sources that put carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
His book is based on the results of a 2003 survey. I wonder if public opinion on climate change hasn’t shifted quite a bit since then. I’d particularly like to see up-to-date numbers on a carbon tax.
