A new poll shows that the environment and global warming have lessened in importance to many Americans, as worries about the economy and job security have increased.
The trend reflects the difficulty faced by the Obama administration in instituting climate change policies that may be viewed as harmful to the economy.
The Pew Research Center found that 85% of those polled said the economy should be a top priority, up from 75% last January. Protecting the environment was mentioned by only 41%, down from 56% a year ago.
Similarly, of the 20 issues mentioned by pollsters, global warming was ranked as least important.
Pew Research Center president Andrew Kohut said a similar drop in secondary issues took place after September 11, 2001, when terrorism held the number one position.
The poll also confirmed that Democrats still favor environmental issues much more than Republicans–54% versus 20% respectively.
Read a full summary of the survey at the link below.
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