ad info

 
CNN.comTranscripts
 
Editions | myCNN | Video | Audio | Headline News Brief | Feedback  

 

  Search
 
 

 

TOP STORIES

Bush signs order opening 'faith-based' charity office for business

Rescues continue 4 days after devastating India earthquake

DaimlerChrysler employees join rapidly swelling ranks of laid-off U.S. workers

Disney's GO.com is a goner

(MORE)

MARKETS
4:30pm ET, 4/16
144.70
8257.60
3.71
1394.72
10.90
879.91
 


WORLD

U.S.

POLITICS

LAW

TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

 
TRAVEL

ARTS & STYLE



(MORE HEADLINES)
 
CNN Websites
Networks image


Morning News

Gallup Poll: Environment Not a Major Issue

Aired September 25, 2000 - 11:35 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The presidential race seems to have tightened once again, with George W. Bush apparently making some advances in polls taken the last few days. Six weeks to go before Americans vote, and one of the issues is this presidential election is environment.

Let's check in with Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport with the latest numbers.

Hi, Frank.

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Hello, Kyra.

All this week we thought we would look at where America stands on the issues. We live in a democracy. I think it's important that we see where Americans come in on the issues, and what they would like their elected representatives, i.e. the president, to do about them.

As you mentioned, today, we will look at the environment. And our number-one conclusion on the environment is that it is not a high priority issue in this campaign. Despite the fact that a lot of people think ultimately it is the most important thing we face on this planet, when we ask the public right now, as you can see here, it's a little lower priority, just 71 percent told us that it would be important in their vote this year. And you can see that is kind of dwarfed by some of the other issues, particularly education and the economy, which come in somewhat higher on that same scale. So it's not the highest priority issue.

In fact, this is very interesting. A little bit this year, in a major poll we conducted, we said: How serious a problem are these things? And look here, way down here, the environment, just 55 percent of Americans said that was a serious problem. Americans much more concerned right now about what I would call short-term issues. We have apparently a very short focus: drugs, crime, poor health care, those types of things are more important than the environment.

So we don't see the environment as being the major issue that the people are clamoring for the candidates to talk about.

Now, our second question is, who is most interested in the environment? and this is a little counterintuitive, when we said how important will this be in your vote, the more money you make, the less important you think the environment will be. See, if you make $75,000 or more, just 59 percent say it will be important in their vote. Those who make less money, you can see, it is higher. Maybe they are more affected by pollution and some other things in urban environments where affluent people tend to live.

Now, what is it Americans want done about the environment? Well, interesting, maybe it has a lower importance because the government is not the number-one entity that the public thinks should be involved in. We gave people a three-part choice: Who should be involved? And that red slice there is that government. But just a third said the government should take the lead in protecting the environment. Just as many people said it is up to business and industry, or up to private citizens and citizen groups. So it's not just an environmental issue, according to the public.

Finally, one point that we have asked over the years is: Should the environment take precedence over the economy? or the economy over the environment? And here we can see that this bottom line is the people choosing the environment. The top line -- excuse me -- the economy. The top line, the environment. What this says is, consistently, Americans say, despite the fact that they don't think it is a serious problem, they are willing to solve environmental problems, even at the expense sometimes of the economy, particularly now, when the economy is doing pretty well, as you can see there.

Bottom line, Kyra: It's not a major issue and people really don't think that the government is the number-one entity that should be involved in fixing it.

Back to you in Atlanta.

PHILLIPS: All right, Frank Newport, thank you. And Frank will be back tomorrow with another Gallup poll, this time on taxes and the economy.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

 Search   


Back to the top  © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.