One in four in the United States are skeptical that global warming is occurring, according to a new Gallup poll.
The poll, released on Tuesday, found that the public is separated into three groups when it comes to their beliefs on global warming: the “concerned believers, mixed middle, and cool skeptics.” Gallup’s poll, conducted this year, found that 39 percent of U.S. adults are “concerned believers,” 36 percent are in the middle, and the last 25 percent are skeptics.
{mosads}The ranks of skeptics surged between 2008 and 2010, and the percentage of those who believe global warming is caused by pollution from human activities dropped sharply in 2010, Gallup said.
Since 2010, however, the number of believers has rebounded, and those in the middle have dwindled, reflecting growing polarization on the issue.
Notable is the gap between women and men on the issue. Sixty percent of concerned global warming believers are women, and 66 percent of skeptics are men.
Those under the age of 50 that lean toward the Democratic party are more likely to believe the planet is warming. The majority of skeptics are 50 years or older and tend to identify as Republican.
And 100 percent of those that identify as skeptics don’t think global warming will pose a serious threat in their lifetime, where 69 percent of believers do.