Americans Urge for Climate Change Action

Two-thirds of adults in the United States think their country should tackle global warming regardless of what other countries do, according to a poll by TNS, ABC News, Stanford University and Planet Green. 68 per cent of respondents think their country should start combating climate change even if others do less.

Conversely, 18 per cent of respondents think the U.S. should only act if other countries such as China and India commit as well, and 13 per cent believe no action is necessary.

The term global warming refers to an increase of the Earth’s average temperature. Some theories say that climate change might be the result of human-generated carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. In 2007, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report which states that global warming has been "very likely"—or 90 per cent certain—caused by humans burning fossil fuels.

In 1998, several countries agreed to the Kyoto Protocol, a proposed amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The agreement commits nations to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The U.S. has not ratified the treaty, which is due to expire in 2012.

In October 2007, former U.S. vice-president Al Gore and the IPCC were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."

On Aug. 19, Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd said the next U.S. president would certainly deal with climate change, saying, "What is heartening on that question is that both candidates, Republican and Democrat, have indicated that they will be moving on this, and with an ambitious set of targets."

New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark said she hopes the U.S. eventually joins the Kyoto Protocol, adding, "If, post-election, the U.S. joins the Kyoto system, its involvement would take away the excuses for inaction from developing countries like China and India."

Polling Data

Do you think 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, that the United States should take action even if these other countries do less, or that the United States should not take action on this at all?

Take action only if others do 18%

Take action even if others do less 68%

Not take action at all 13%

Unsure 2%