Global warming is a more polarizing issue than gay marriage or abortion, according to an Associated Press article citing a new Yale University poll.
Yale researchers found only 17 percent of Americans are “extremely concerned” by global warming and want immediate action, while another 28 percent are “concerned,” but don’t think it’s an immediate problem. The poll estimates about 10 percent of Americans reject global warming’s scientific validity, and 11 percent think the science behind global warming is dubious.
Roughly 27 percent of the population doesn’t know what to believe on global warming, and the remaining 7 percent don’t care.
“It’s more politically polarizing than abortion,” Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, wrote in a press statement. “It’s more politically polarizing than gay marriage.”
The Yale poll found that individuals “extremely concerned” or “concerned” about global warming are more likely to vote for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton than individuals who are pro-choice or pro-gay marriage. Individuals who reject global warming’s scientific validity are more likely to vote for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump than pro-life or anti-gay marriage voters.