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Compared to other issues such as communicable diseases, malnutrition and hunger, sanitation and water, and the rest, climate change ranked last on the list

Top American Fears- Corrupt Government and Terrorist Attacks, Not Climate Change



Chapman University recently completed its third annual Survey of American Fears (2016). The survey asked respondents about 65 fears across a broad range of categories, including fears about the government, crime, the environment, the future, technology, health, natural disasters, as well as fears of public speaking, spiders, heights, ghosts, and many other personal anxieties. (1) In its third year, the annual Chapman University Survey included more than 1,500 adult participants across the nation from all walks of life. The survey shows that the top ten things Americans fear the most are:
Fear% Afraid of Very Afraid
Corrupt government officials60.0
Terrorist attack41.0
Not having enough money for the future39.9
Terrorism38.5
Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition38.5
People I love dying38.1
Economic/financial collapse37.5
Identity theft37.1
People I love becoming seriously ill35.9
The Affordable Health Care Act/Obamacare35.5
Interestingly, global warming (climate change) was #17 on the list with 32.3% saying it is a fear. It seems people have other fear priorities, and if it weren't for blowhards like Al Gore and Hillary Clinton trying to link weather events with climate, that number would likely be far lower. Many natural disasters, such as tornadoes, floods, droughts, and hurricanes, also ranked far lower. (1) The Chapman Study also found climate change low (#18) in 2012. (2)

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In another study, Americans' beliefs about climate change were recently surveyed by the Pew Research Center. Pew pollsters found that a combined 51% of Americans agree that 1- there is no clear evidence that Earth is warming, or 2-natural factors are the main causes of climate change. Therefore, just 48% of Americans believe the Earth is getting warmer, and this warming is mostly caused by humans. This belief percentage has essentially remained unchanged for the last 10 years, or since the survey was first conducted in 2006. (3) A related earlier study was done by the Copenhagen Consensus, a group organized by Danish statistician Bjorn Lomborg. They looked at ways to address ten of the most serious challenges facing the world today: access to education, climate change, communicable diseases, conflicts, corruption and governance, financial stability, hunger and malnutrition, migration, sanitation and access to clear drinking water, subsidies and trade barriers. The group was asked to answer the question: What would be the best ways of advancing global welfare, and particularly the welfare of developing countries supposing that an additional $50 billion of resources were at governments' disposal? The results: Compared to other issues such as communicable diseases, malnutrition and hunger, sanitation and water, and the rest, climate change ranked last on the list. (4) So, if you are looking for something to worry about you can find many other issues than climate change. References
  1. Anthony Watts, “Survey lists top 10 American fears-government corruption is #1, global warming doesn't make the cut,” wattsupwiththat.com, October 13, 2016
  2. Sheri Ledbetter, “America's top fears 2015,” blogs.chapman.edu, October 13, 2015
  3. Pierre Gosselin, “Only 53% of climatologists & meteorologists, 35% of engineers & geoscientists 19% of agronomists are 'consensus' believers,” notrickszone.com, October 6, 2016
  4. Global Crisis, Global Solutions, Bjorn Lomborg, Editor (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014), 605


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Jack Dini -- Bio and Archives

Jack Dini is author of Challenging Environmental Mythology.  He has also written for American Council on Science and Health, Environment & Climate News, and Hawaii Reporter.


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