As the Earth Day celebration nears its 31st anniversary on April 22, environmental activists will have a difficult time urging Americans to immobilize their vehicles during the “car-free day” on April 19.
Only 27 percent of the U.S. population is strongly concerned about the current state of the environment, according to an update of a March Gallup poll.
While the majority of Americans still supports regulation of industrial emissions and is opposed to drilling for oil in the Alaskan wilderness, the poll results showed the number of supporters is down.
Only 57 percent say protection of the environment should be given priority over economic growth, compared to 67 percent last year. Thirty-three percent of Americans–up from 28 percent in 2000–say economic growth should take precedence, even if the environment suffers to some extent.
However, 68 percent of those polled still say corporations are doing too little to protect the environment, as opposed to 4 percent who think the opposite.
Nearly half of adults interviewed said they would pay $100 more each year if it helped increase efforts by businesses and industry to reduce air pollution.
The results reported were based on telephone interviews with a national sample of 1060 adults, 18 years and older.
To learn more about the poll, visit http://www.gallup.com
