And the winner is: “Global warming.”
Given a choice between the terms “global warming” and “climate change,” Americans are twice as likely to use the GW word(s).
That’s according to a new survey by groups at Yale and George Mason universities that measured perceptions of the two phrases – which are often used interchangeably but have somewhat different meanings.
Among the other findings: Respondents were equally likely to believe that global warming and climate change are happening (62 percent said yes to GW; 63 percent said yes to CC) and that they’re caused primarily by human activity (47 percent for GW; 45 percent for CC). But they were notably more likely to regard global warming as a bad, scary thing (76 percent for GW; 63 percent for CC).
Interestingly, given the conservative ridicule heaped on the words “global warming,” Republicans, like Democrats and independents, put as much credence in global warming as in climate change. (They’re less likely than those of other political persuasions to believe that either phenomenon is happening – no surprise there.)
But here’s where it gets really interesting. Although 61 percent of people think the United States should make a major or moderate effort to combat global warming (even with major or moderate economic costs), only 36 percent think it should be a high priority for the White House and Congress.
Which may say that, no matter how toasty things get, we’re cool to the idea that solutions will come out of Washington.
(fyi, the Obama administration is expected to announce on Monday a major initiative to reduce carbon emissions and combat global warming. Or climate change.)
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