US

A recent poll showed we believe the temperature has been going up (84%), the effects are imminent (62%), and the government should do more to deal with it (70%). Most of us (82%) think the problem is personally important but only a few (18%) say “extremely.” Only 1/3 of us would approve taxation on electricity or gasoline; 80% favor laws or tax incentives that change industry’s behavior.

However, as a presidential election issue, it is ranked fourth after the Iraq war, health care, and the economy. The problem is not that we’re immovable; we’re fickle. Gasoline lines in the 1970s brought 55 mph speed limits, CAFÉ standards, and some investment in mitigating technology. When oil prices came down, everyone forgot about the problem except those who lost those investments.