November 06, 2009 01:49 AM UTC

News Flash: Most Americans Are Sane

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• by: ardy39

According to a report in the Christian Science Monitor, most Americans understand and agree with the vast majority of the currently active and practicing climatologists around the world.

Some 56 percent of likely general-election voters say global warming is happening now, and a further 21 percent say it will happen in the future. [emphases added]

(OK, so this poll is oh-so-pre-election (it came out Nov 2). But, it was jointly conducted by an R and a D pollster and seems to contrast with some of the other polls on public perceptions of global warming, thus it might still be noteworthy!)

Unfortunately, a small minority of Americans still think Sarah Palin and James Inhofe are climate experts. How small of a minority? Answer below the fold.

(Turns out, it’s about the same percentage that undervote in a contested school board election in Mesa County. Coincidence?)

By contrast, some 16 percent said global warming will not happen.

Additionally, Americans recognize that it is time for America to regain its moral leadership and take action. Now.

… 77 percent of respondents favored action, 18 percent opposed action, and 5 percent were undecided.

It also seems that the sane portion of America can see through all the fear-mongering of the US Chamber of Commerce and those industries with a large stake in the status quo:

… a large plurality of voters canvassed – 48 percent – thought efforts to reduce global warming would create new American jobs. [emphasis added]

Combined, nearly two-thirds of Americans thought that taking action to reduce CO2 emissions would have either a positive effect, or no effect, on American jobs.

One thing remains apparent, Exxon and all the rest who have fronted money to astroturfing sure know how to turn science into a partisan issue:

For example, 49 percent of Republicans think global warming is a serious threat, versus 90 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of independents.

I still think it is amazing how many Republicans think they can create their own facts. And seem to think that the real physical world pays heed to their “creative factiness.”

What is wrong with half the people who still self-identify as Republican? How can we actually improve the lot of people in Colorado, in the US, in the world, if some people have no respect for facts?

It takes an informed citizenry to counter all the misinformation that the purveyors of business as usual spew on a daily basis.

On the other hand, maybe there a way we can blame this on teachers’ unions? Or mothers in the workforce? Or the GLBT radical agenda? Or interracial marriage? Anything that would allow us to escape taking personal responsibility for our collective ignorance.

Sigh.

Bummer that the old standby of tar and feathers has gone out of fashion …