June 03, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe climate change is a reality, according to a poll by Opinion Research Corporation released by CNN. 54 per cent of respondents think global warming is a proven fact and is mostly caused by emissions from cars and industrial facilities such as power plants and factories.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe climate change is a reality, according to a poll by Opinion Research Corporation released by CNN. 54 per cent of respondents think global warming is a proven fact and is mostly caused by emissions from cars and industrial facilities such as power plants and factories.

Conversely, 20 per cent of respondents call climate change a fact mostly caused by natural changes, while 22 per cent refer to it as a theory that has not yet been proven.

The term global warming refers to an increase of the Earth's average temperature. Some theories say that climate change might be the result of human-generated carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

In 1998, several countries agreed to the Kyoto Protocol, a proposed amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The agreement commits nations to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The U.S. signed the protocol but has not ratified it.

Yesterday in his weekly radio address, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed the upcoming G-8 summit in Germany, saying, "Under my proposal, by the end of next year America and other nations will set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases. And to meet this goal, we must help developing countries harness the power of technology" and "be responsible stewards of the environment."

Polling Data

Which of the following statements comes closest to your view of global warming? Global warming is a proven fact and is mostly caused by emissions from cars and industrial facilities such as power plants and factories; Global warming is a proven fact and is mostly caused by natural changes that have nothing to do with emissions from cars and industrial facilities; or Global warming is a theory that has not yet been proven."

Fact: Cars, Industry	54%
Fact: Natural changes	20%
An unproven theory	22%
Unsure	4%

Source: Opinion Research Corporation / CNN
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,028 American adults, conducted from May 4 to May 6, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.