POLL
November 18-22, 2015
Total N=1,030
All trends are from New York Times/CBS News polls unless otherwise noted.
Asterisk indicates registered respondents only.

 1. Do you think the condition of the environment for the next generation will be better,
worse, or about the same as it is now?

4/20-24/07
3/29-4/1/10 CBS
11/18-22/15

Better
11
16
11

Worse
57
49
56

Same
29
33
30

DK/NA
4
2
2

2. Often there are trade-offs or sacrifices people must make in deciding what is
important to them. Generally speaking, when a trade-off has to be made, which is more
important to you – stimulating the economy or protecting the environment? RESPONSE OPTIONS
WERE ROTATED.

5/27-30/92 CBS
9/9-13/92
4/20-24/07
1/11-15/09
12/4-8/09
12/17-22/09 CBS
11/18-22/15

Economy
39
45
36
58
61
64
34

Environment
46
44
52
33
29
28
54

Both (vol.)
11
8
8
8
7
9

Neither (vol.)
1
3
-

DK/NA
3
8
4
2
2
1
3

3. Do you think global warming is an environmental problem that is causing a serious
impact now, or do you think the impact of global warming won't happen until sometime in
the future, or do you think global warming won't have a serious impact at all?

6/14-18/01¹
4/20-24/07
12/5-9/07
2/2-4/09 CBS
3/31-4/3/11 CBS
8/3-5/10 CBS
10/1-6/10 CBS
6/22-25/12
2/6-10/13¹ CBS
3/27-30/13¹ CBS
5/16-19/14¹ CBS
9/10-14/14
11/18-22/15

Impact now
35
49
55
43
49
38
43
44
49
45
46
46
50

In future
41
36
27
30
25
28
29
19
28
30
31
28
25

No serious impact
17
11
13
19
16
22
22
21
19
21
20
24
19

Doesn’t exist (vol.)
1
2
3
5
4
3
6

1
1

DK/NA
7
4
5
5
6
8
3
9
5
4
4
1
5

¹“Global warming doesn’t exist” was not offered as a voluntary code.

2

 4. Which statement comes closest to your view about global warming? Global warming is
caused mostly by human activity such as burning fossil fuels or Global warming is caused
mostly by natural patterns in the earth's environment or Global warming does not exist.

9/10-15/11
10/12-15/12 CBS
11/16-19/12 CBS
1/24-27/13 CBS
2/6-10/13 CBS
2/19-23/14
5/16-19/14 CBS
9/10-14/14
9/8-15/15
11/18-22/15

Human
activity
42
51
51
48
48
46
49
54
51
53

Natural
patterns
33
28
32
32
31
34
33
31
29
31

Global warming
does not exist
12
9
8
10
10
14
11
10
9
9

Caused by
both (vol.)
7
6
5
6
6
3
3
3
5
5

Don't know what
causes it (vol.)
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
1

DK/
NA
4
4
4
3
4
2
2
1
3
1

5. Do you think the United States should or should not join an international treaty
requiring America to reduce emissions in an effort to fight global warming?

11/18-22/15

Should
66

Should not
27

Depends (vol.)
2

DK/NA
5

6. How much do you personally worry about global warming or climate change – a great
deal, a fair amount, only a little or not at all?

11/18-22/15

Great deal
14

Fair amount
31

Only a little
32

Not at all
24

DK/NA
-

7. As a way for the federal government to try to reduce future global warming, do you
favor or oppose (INSERT ITEM)? GET ANSWER THEN ASK: Is that strongly, or not that
strongly? QUESTIONS 7a-7d WERE ROTATED.
11/18-22/15
Favor
strongly

Favor not
that strongly

Oppose not
that strongly

Oppose
strongly

DK/
NA

a. limits on carbon emissions
from U.S. power plants

44

19

13

18

5

b. limiting oil and gas
drilling, logging and mining
in US public lands

32

17

18

27

5

c. increasing taxes on
electricity so people use
less of it

10

9

19

60

2

d. increasing taxes on
gasoline so people either
drive less, or buy cars that
use less gas?

22

14

15

45

3
3

 11. In order to help reduce global warming, would you be willing or not willing to pay
more for electricity if it were generated by renewable sources like solar or wind energy?

4/20-24/07
11/18-22/15

Willing
75
55

Not willing
20
43

DK/NA
4
3

4