ST. LEO, FL -- Just in time for Earth Day, a new poll shows Americans and Floridians are less concerned about climate change and the environment now than in previous years.
The Saint Leo Polling Institute at Saint Leo University in Pasco County says their latest survey shows the lowest level of concern in six years of polling.
According to the latest numbers, based on a national survey of a thousand adults, 70.2 percent of Americans are concerned about climate change, down two percent from a year ago and down from 75.1 percent in 2017.
The St. Leo poll surveys Floridians more intensely than the rest of the nation, with its own breakout group of 500. In 2022, 72.6 percent say they're concerned about climate change, compared to 75.5 percent in 2017.
Pollster Frank Orlando says that with the pandemic, inflation and the war in Ukraine, our capacity for concern may be tapped out.
The poll asked whether respondents think climate change is entirely manmade, entirely natural, or a combination of the two. Orlando says fewer people are picking the combination answer and more are going to both extremes.
Dr. Cheryl Kozina, associate professor of biology at Saint Leo, says it could be that people believe that with less commuting, people believe the problem is less serious.
The poll also showed support for President Biden's decision to cancel the Keystone pipeline plummeting, from 47 percent last year to 38 percent now. In Florida, support dropped from 48 percent to 41 percent, as gas prices rose.
Photo: Getty Images
Listen to an interview with Frank Orlando below: