Americans Trash Environment In Poll

An early-March Gallup poll asked Americans which was more important: developing energy supplies even at a further detriment to the environment or protecting the environment even at the cost of limiting energy supplies? Fifty percent of those polled favored securing energy supplies from gas, oil, and coal, the highest percentage Gallup has seen in 10 years of polling this issue. Only 43% felt that protecting the environment should take priority.

The same poll found that 53% of Americans favored economic growth even at the risk of the environment. Just under half (49%) of Democrats favored environmental protection over economic growth. This represents a major shift from past polls. Two factors, increased concern over the state of the economy and the perception that the environment is improving, are thought to have influenced the change.

Another poll – in my brain – found that more than half of Americans are content staying inside for the rest of their lives and eating genetically modified corn products if they have cable TV, internet, and cell-phone service to scare them about the economy and lie to them about environmental realities.