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Poll: Majority want climate accord, but economic doubts remain
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12/16/09 08:55 AM ET
A USA Today/Gallup poll conducted Dec. 11-13 finds that 55 percent of adults favor the U.S. signing a binding treaty at the Copenhagen talks that would commit the U.S. to major greenhouse gas curbs. Thirty-eight percent oppose it.
(The talks are actually aimed at a political accord with an immediate “operational effect,” while work on a binding treaty has been pushed into next year.)
The same poll finds that 85 percent believe that taking major steps to improve the economy should be a higher priority for President Obama right now than taking major steps to reduce global warming.
Supporters of greenhouse gas curbs say that’s a false choice. Democrats have largely sold climate legislation as a way to accelerate development of high-tech energy industries in the U.S. – and create lots of jobs along the way.
But that argument may be a tough sell, the poll finds. According to Gallup, 42 percent of respondents believe that laws to curb global warming will probably or definitely hurt the economy, while 36 percent believe they will help the economy.
The margin of error in the poll of 1,025 adults is plus-or-minus four percentage points.
(The talks are actually aimed at a political accord with an immediate “operational effect,” while work on a binding treaty has been pushed into next year.)
The same poll finds that 85 percent believe that taking major steps to improve the economy should be a higher priority for President Obama right now than taking major steps to reduce global warming.
Supporters of greenhouse gas curbs say that’s a false choice. Democrats have largely sold climate legislation as a way to accelerate development of high-tech energy industries in the U.S. – and create lots of jobs along the way.
But that argument may be a tough sell, the poll finds. According to Gallup, 42 percent of respondents believe that laws to curb global warming will probably or definitely hurt the economy, while 36 percent believe they will help the economy.
The margin of error in the poll of 1,025 adults is plus-or-minus four percentage points.
