Gallup: Concerns Over Global Warming Steady, Despite Partisan Shifts

Americans in general remain concerned about global warming, but the division between those of different party affiliation is becoming more polarized, according to the latest Gallup survey. 

Democrats view global warming as a serious matter, while Republicans are more skeptical, according to the poll.

The results:

• 91 percent of Democrats and 33 percent of Republicans say they worry a great amount about global warming, but 67 percent of Republicans worry a small amount or not at all.
• 82 percent of Democrats believe global warming has already begun, but only 34 percent of Republicans believe that.
• 57 percent of Republicans believe global warming will not happen in their lifetime, and 32 percent believe it will never happen.
• 64 percent of Democrats think the threat is underestimated in the news, while 69 percent of Republicans believe the threat is overestimated.
• 32 percent of Democrats believe the news is correct about the seriousness of the issue, while only 15 percent of Republicans share that belief.
• Only 4 percent of Republicans believe that the news underestimates the impact of global warming.
• 86 percent of Democrats and 42 percent of Republicans believe global warming is happening. The 42-percent mark among Republicans is a decline of 11 percent from 2017.
• 67 percent of Democrats believe that global warming will pose a serious threat in their lifetimes, but only 18 percent of Republicans believe that.

Between 2017 and 2018, some opinions in the poll show marked differences.

• In 2017, 66 percent of Republicans believed that the seriousness of global warming was exaggerated. In 2018, 69 percent believe that.
• In 2017, 53 percent of Republicans believed that most scientists believe in global warming, but in 2018, that number among Republicans was 42 percent.
• In 2017, 41 percent of Republicans believed that global warming's effects had already started, while 34 percent believed that in the 2018 poll.
• In 2017, 73 percent of Democrats believed that the effects had begun, and that number ramped up to 82 percent in 2018.

Most Americans, regardless of party, say that scientists believe global warming is happening (66 percent), human activities cause it (64 percent) and that its effects have already begun (60 percent.) The opinions on each of those numbers have declined since 2017, the Gallup report said.

The only issue that saw increased concern from both party affiliations is that 45 percent believe global warming will be a serious threat in their lifetime, the highest amount since Gallup first asked the question in 1997.

Gallup's annual environmental survey was conducted March 1-8 among a random sample of 1,041 adults ages 18 and older in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

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