Worldwatch Research Intern Meera Bhaska: “Over the past year, national polling data has pointed toward a growing sense of public skepticism on the credibility of climate science and the truth of global warming. According to a 2009 poll by Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, the share of Americans who believe that global temperatures are rising dropped from 47 percent in 2008 to 36 percent in 2009. Additionally, a survey conducted by Gallup in 2010 found that 48 percent of Americans consider the seriousness of global warming to be exaggerated-a 12 percent increase from 1997. Any increase in the public’s ambivalence toward global warming poses yet another obstacle in the push for climate progress. However, pessimistic outlooks may need to be reevaluated in light of a new public opinion study released at a Congressional briefing last week. The hot-off-the press results from Jon Krosnick, a professor at Stanford University, pointed out inherent structural flaws in national climate and energy polls such as those conducted by Pew and Gallup, and indicated that, in fact, “huge majorities” of Americans believe that the planet is indeed warming due to anthropogenic activities. An even larger majority strongly supports government regulation to fight this problem.”