The Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire has completed
new polling (pdf) which shows that climate change is now the most divisive issue of our time.
Survey researcher Lawrence Hamilton polled 568 New Hampshire residents and found that Democrats and Republicans disagree most on climate change — moreso than on abortion, gun control, the death penalty, or evolution. Specifically, 83 percent of Democrats acknowledge that humans are contributing to global warming, while only 36 percent of non-Tea Party Republicans believe the same. Tea Party Republicans are even worse on the issue, with only 23 percent agreeing with the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change.
The findings, Hamilton wrote, represent “a changing political landscape in which scientific ideas and information that are accepted by most scientists are, nevertheless, highly controversial among the general public.”
Emily Atkins
writes that when the polling results are analysed as to how the responders received their climate news; those who listened to news which directly interviewed scientists had the greatest belief in climate change, while those who got their news mainly from media talking heads had the greatest disbelief.
So why, besides political party, would there be such staggering divisiveness on environmental science and climate? According to the poll, it could be related to news media. In addition to polling on beliefs, Hamilton also collected information about the type of news people consume on a daily basis, and found that those who listen to New Hampshire public radio (NHPR) place higher trust in scientists and have a greater acceptance of climate science. NHPR’s news coverage is often built around one-on-one conversations with scientists, the report said.
“Hearing from scientists directly heightens public awareness of what scientists do, what they know, and particularly how they know it,” Hamilton wrote.
Unfortunately for those of us living on this planet; the most divisive issue is also the most dangerous.