Ipsos/McClatchy Poll Finds Republicans Increasingly Isolated on Climate Change
The data show that Republicans are increasingly isolated in their denial of global warming: The largest percentage of GOPers yet in Ipsos’ polling says it isn’t happening, and the rise in their denial is far more pronounced than among Dems or independents.
The poll asked whether people believe that the world’s temperature “has been going up slowly over the past 100 years.” A surprisingly large percentage of Republicans, 43%, say it isn’t happening, versus only 23% of independents and 16% of Dems. Meawhile, only 57% of Republicans say it’s happening, versus 68% of independents and 82% of Dems.
An Ipsos official confirms that this is the lowest percentage yet of Republicans who say it is happening, and that their skepticism is rising at a much more pronounced rate than among Dems or indys.
Here are the poll’s results:
A WaPo-ABC poll last month had similar findings:
Since its peak 3 1/2 years ago, belief that climate change is happening is down sharply among Republicans — 76 to 54 percent — and independents — 86 to 71 percent. It dipped more modestly among Democrats, from 92 to 86 percent. A majority of respondents still support legislation to cap emissions and trade pollution allowances, by 53 to 42 percent.
Polls like these, and a competitive primary challenge from the right, may conspire to take away Senator McCain’s vote on climate legislation this spring. Meanwhile, it looks increasingly likely that Republicans will nominate a climate change denier for President in 2012.
