ABC News Poll, July 2008 (ICPSR 27322)

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This poll, conducted July 23-28, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,000 adults was surveyed. Information was collected on respondents' opinion of the environment and their views on various environmental issues. This included how the respondent rated the condition of the natural environment, the single biggest environmental problem the world faces, how much they trust the things that scientists say about the environment, and whether they thought the weather patterns in the last three years have been more stable both where the respondent lives and in the world in general. Respondents were also asked whether they had heard about the idea that the world's temperature may have been rising slowly over the past 100 years and if they thought this statement was true. They were asked if they believed the increase in temperature was caused by things people do or by natural causes. The issue of global warming was brought up and respondents answered questions of how important it was to them, how much they knew about global warming, how serious a problem they thought it was, whether it will pose a serious threat to them or their way of life in their lifetime, whether it will be a problem for future generations, whether or not scientists agree that global warming is happening, and whether most scientists agree with one another about the causes and threat of global warming. Respondents were asked if they thought the United States should take action on global warming only if other major industrial countries such as China and India agree to do equally effective things, the effect on the economy if the United States does more than other countries to address global warming, whether global warming can be reduced without people making major changes in lifestyle, and whether the government or businesses would be better for reducing global warming. Information was also collected on whether respondents used products made from recycled materials, whether recycled products were easier to find now than five years ago, and whether these products were actually better for the environment. Respondents were also asked if they would be more or less likely to vote for a candidate for president if they are a strong environmentalist, Barack Obama and John McCain's positions on global warming, and which candidate would do more to reduce global warming in the future. Questions were asked on whether the recent price increases in gasoline have caused any financial hardship for the respondent, how closely they were following the news about the environment, their main source of information about environmental issues, and if they considered themselves an environmentalist. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, education level, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), whether any children under the age of 18 are living in the household, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.

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