Poll: Conservatives alone say global warming won’t happen during their lives

Conservative Republicans are the only voting group where a majority does not believe that the effects of global warming will happen in their lifetimes, a new survey found.

The poll released Wednesday from Gallup found that majorities of liberal Democrats, conservative or moderate Democrats, independents and moderate/liberal Republicans all believe that global warming will happen in their lifetimes.

{mosads}Only 37 percent of Republicans agree with that prediction, and 40 percent of Republicans — the highest of any group in the poll — think global warming will never happen.

“President Barack Obama will visit the Florida Everglades on Earth Day to discuss the threats posed to the planet by global warming, which is almost certain to draw both criticism and acclaim,” Gallup said.

“But despite the political volley match, Americans have, for the last several years, reported a consistent viewpoint on this topic: A majority believe the effects of global warming have already begun to happen, and blame human activity for increases in the Earth’s temperature.”

The survey findings are not surprising, affirming previous polls. In addition, the overwhelming majority of congressional Republicans do not believe that humans contribute to climate change, and nearly all disagree with Democratic policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Global warming views are marked by a large partisan gap,” Gallup said in the survey report.

“Republicans typically treat the concept and consequences of global warming with a heavy dose of skepticism, while Democrats usually express concern about global warming’s impact on the environment.”

The poll also found that a strong majority — 70 percent — of Republicans believe that climate change is caused by natural changes in the environment.

Meanwhile, majorities of liberal Democrats, conservative or moderate Democrats and independents all say climate change is the result of pollution from human activity.