Polling Climate Change

When polled, most Americans are less concerned about global warming than before.

The more the world discusses climate change, it seems, the less Americans care. Here's Zogby:

As the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen heads into its final week, nearly half of Americans -- 49% -- say they are only slightly or not at all concerned about climate change, while 35% are somewhat or highly concerned, a new Zogby Interactive survey shows. Zogby's latest polling shows an increase in those who hold this view compared with 2007, when 39% said they were slightly or not at all concerned about climate change and 48% said they were somewhat or highly concerned.

Intensity of concern about global climate change has shifted over the past three years in favor of those who are not at all concerned - 27% held this view in 2007, compared to 37% who say the same now. Fewer now say they are highly concerned - 20% today compared to 30% in 2007.

I don't follow environmental issues close enough to speculate as to why this shift has occurred. Crisis fatigue?

(AP Photos)