Americans Care More about Global Warming: Gallup Poll Reveals Rising Concerns

Do Americans care about global warming? Apparently their concern is on the rise after several years of expanded public skepticism. A new Gallup poll reveals that 58 percent of Americans worry a great deal or a fair amount about global warming--that's up from 51 percent in 2011.

That's not to say that concern hasn't been higher before. In 2000, 72 percent of Americans worried about global warming, up from 68 percent the previous year. Since then, though, the concern has had percentages that range from the 50s to the 60s.

This recent change is not surprising. With large storms on the rise, the public is taking more notice of conditions that affect the Earth's climate. Systems such as Hurricane Katrina can devastate coastlines, causing billions of dollars-worth of damage. In addition, new research has shown that the precipitation in storms is likely to increase if warming trends continue, which means that there may be far more rain and snow in the future and, in consequence, more flooding.

Weather systems aren't the only things that are affected, though. Carbon emissions, which can exacerbate warming conditions, can also have far-reaching consequences. In particular, they can affect the Earth's oceans and cause ocean acidification. This can impact organisms that range from crabs to fish to oysters and can greatly alter ecosystems.

The poll didn't just find that people are more concerned about global warming, though. It also found that 54 percent of Americans believe that the effects of global warming have already begun. In addition 57 percent believe that global warming is caused by human activities rather than being natural.

It's not likely that these percentages will drop in the next few years, either. After President Obama's announcement that he promises to take executive action to fight climate change in his second term, it's likely that global warming will remain at the forefront of the public's minds.

A forthcoming Gallup analysis will examine trends on attitudes toward global warming by partnership.