Poll shows US divided over climate change, energy

A Pew Research Center poll has shown that although three-quarters of Americans believe the U.S. ought to participate in international efforts to address climate change, most of them remain pessimistic about those efforts.

The poll which was published on Tuesday found that 53 per cent of those surveyed didn’t think the world would avoid climate change’s worst impacts.

Results of the poll which analyzed the responses of more than 10,000 Americans follow a recent report released by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

According to the U.N. climate change panel, average temperatures across the globe have warmed about 1.1 degrees Celsius (nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, the fastest rate in at least 2,000 years.

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In his reaction, the centre’s director of science and society research Carey Funk said, “there’s some scepticism that change will be enough to avoid the worst effects,”. “That was shared, generally speaking, across parties.”

According to the poll, climate change is endangering people already and will disrupt food systems, force tens of millions more from their homes and threaten gains in global health unless drastic action is taken.

Conducted before Russia invaded Ukraine, the poll shows that Americans are deeply divided over climate and energy policy and differ over how to address global warming as its primary cause.

The poll showed that two-thirds of Americans think the United States should use a mix of fossil fuels and renewables in the future, rather than phase out fossil fuels completely.

However, about 28 per cent — including more than half of Republicans — oppose the U.S. taking steps toward becoming carbon neutral.

Further reacting to the outcome of the poll, Funk said, “We have seen some shifts in the last couple years, particularly since Biden came into office, around support for renewable energy sources.

“You’re seeing a downward shift in Republican support for wind and solar power. That was one area where we often saw the common ground.”

The poll also suggests that support for renewable energy is dipping among Republicans.

Carr added that IPCC reports to date have been conservative and researchers are now seeing that climate change is accelerating faster than their earlier projections.

He said that the poll suggests that most Americans have a mistaken impression of the worldwide state of the climate effort, adding that about 35 per cent of adults believe policies aiming to reduce the effects of global warming harm the U.S. economy.

Story was adapted from NBC news.