April 26, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many Americans believe the protection of the water supply is the top environmental issue, according to a poll by Gallup. More than 50 per cent of respondents worry a great deal about the pollution of drinking water, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, the contamination of soil and water by toxic waste, and the maintenance of the supply of fresh water for household needs.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many Americans believe the protection of the water supply is the top environmental issue, according to a poll by Gallup. More than 50 per cent of respondents worry a great deal about the pollution of drinking water, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, the contamination of soil and water by toxic waste, and the maintenance of the supply of fresh water for household needs.

Air pollution is next on the list of concerns with 46 per cent, followed by damage to the earth's ozone layer and the loss of tropical rain forests with 43 per cent each, the "greenhouse effect" or global warming with 41 per cent, the extinction of plant and animal species with 39 per cent, and acid rain with 25 per cent.

In his January 2007 State of the Union address, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed his environmental policies, saying, "America is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us to live our lives less dependent on oil. And these technologies will help us be better stewards of the environment, and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change."

On Apr. 20, Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi declared: "With bipartisan support, during the first 100 days of the 110th Congress the House rolled back tax cuts and subsidies for Big Oil and invested in clean, alternative fuels, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. We established a Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming to raise the visibility of this crucial issue and gather critical information to solve this challenge."

Polling Data

I'm going to read you a list of environmental problems. As I read each one, please tell me if you personally worry about this problem a great deal.

	2007	2006
Pollution of drinking water	58%	54%
Pollution of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs	53%	51%
Contamination of soil and water by toxic waste	52%	52%
Maintenance of the nation's supply of fresh water for household needs	51%	49%
Air pollution	46%	44%
Damage to the earth's ozone layer	43%	40%
The loss of tropical rain forests	43%	40%
The "greenhouse effect" or global warming	41%	36%
Extinction of plant and animal species	39%	34%
Acid rain	25%	24%

Source: Gallup
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,009 American adults, conducted from Mar. 11 to Mar. 14, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.