Water issues worry Americans most, global warming least

Water issues tops a list of nine environmental issues that Americans worry about, according to this year’s Gallup Environment Poll, whose results were released today.

According to the new poll, four environmental issues referring to water rank in the upper tier of environmental concerns, with air pollution a close fifth.

There is a slightly steeper drop-off in concern about several issues not directly related to daily survival, such as the loss of tropical rain forests and urban sprawl.

Loss of open spaces and global warming worry Americans least, according to the same poll, with global warming ranking lowest. The global warming result is consistent with other Gallup polling, with barely half of Americans concerned and 48% only a little or not at all concerned.

So, although the United States has experienced nothing like the mass drinking-water scare that is gripping Japan during its current nuclear crisis, water is at the top of the list of environmental issues of concern to Americans according to today’s new Gallup poll.

Water Issues Worry Americans Most, Global Warming Least

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