A new poll by the Pew Research Center indicates that US public confidence in evidence of global warming has declined sharply over the past 18 months, and fewer now believe that it poses a serious problem.

To the question, “Is there solid evidence that the earth is warming:”

  • 57 percent answered ‘yes,’ compared to 71 percent in April 2008, a drop of 14 points;
  • 33 percent of respondents answered ‘no,’ up 9 points;
  • ‘don’t know’ rose from 8 percent to 10 percent.
  • Among those answering “yes,” 36 percent said warming was due to human activity, down from 47 percent.

Oddly enough, a 56% majority thinks the US should join international efforts to set standards to address climate change, while 32% think the US should set its own.

A similar majority (55%) say they have not heard about cap-and-trade measures taken up by both Houses of Congress this year, designed limit control carbon emissions.

Compared to the loud, contentious and sometimes hysterical debate over healthcare reform that has occupied the US media for the past six months or so — not to mention a lagging economy. continuing unemployment and two wars — climate change legislation has indeed progressed relatively quietly. That is likely to change, however, as healthcare legislation goes before the Senate in coming weeks, and Congress turns it’s attention to carbon emissions in advance of December’s UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Unlikely to change are partisan differences.

According to Pew, evidence for global warming is seen as solid among 75% of Democrats, 53% of Independents, and 35% of Republicans. Compared to 2007, when 86% of Democrats, 78% of Independents, and 62% of Republicans saw evidence for global warming as solid, the largest declines were among independents and conservatives.

Details of the Pew Research Center poll on global warming are available at http://people-press.org/report/556/global-warming.