The only thing Americans care about less than climate change is race relations

[DonViejo]

A new poll bodes poorly for our priorities

LINDSAY ABRAMS

Well, this is disheartening.

A Gallup poll released Wednesday found that Americans rank climate change as their 14th-highest priority, second only to race relations (also disheartening). Only 24 percent of respondents said they worry about climate change “a great deal.” Just over half, on the other hand, said they worry about it either a little bit, or not at all.

Concern for the quality of the environment did slightly better, with 31 percent of people worrying about it a lot. But that also marks an all-time low since Gallup started asking the question in 2001. According to Gallop, environmental concern peaked back in 2007.

Here’s how our priorities break down:



Listen, the economy, healthcare, unemployment and homelessness, among other higher-ranking national problems, are all really important, too. But this certainly seems like another case of people focusing exclusively on the present and forgetting about the bigger picture (unless, perhaps, they live in South Florida). Choosing not to worry about climate change isn’t going to make it go away. On the contrary, it’ll just help it get to the point where it supersedes our ability to worry about anything else. And by that point, it just might be too late.

more
http://www.salon.com/2014/03/12/the_only_thing_americans_care_about_less_than_climate_change_is_race_relations/

[seveneyes]

1. It tells me people want a better standard of living and security

People need good paying jobs. If they were up to their asses in alligators or dying of thirst, then those issues would be their priority. There is no more personal important time like the present.

[LisaLynne]

3. I think you have a point there.

When people are worried about feeding their families, they don't really have time to think about much else.

[Lost_Count]

2. You can take it in a positive way as well...

Those people may just have good relationships between the races they come in contact with and thus it isn't high on their list.

[NM_Birder]

4. careful,

Are you suggesting that, the majority of American are NOT bigoted, homophobic knuckle dragging barbarians ?

THAT's not part of the approved script.

[Lost_Count]

5. Noted...

[pipi_k]

6. So...

The 59% who care more about the economy than the 17% who care about race relations must all be white, right?

And the 17% are all minorities?


Probably not. In fact, I would bet at least half of those concerned about the economy are minorities.


Which says to me that even minorities are more concerned about the economy than they are about race relations. Because the effects of the economy are more painfully immediate.

IOW, why wouldn't a person...minority or not...care a whole lot about being able to support himself and his family or save money for retirement or buy a home instead of living in an apartment, etc.

Also, people can't all care about the same issues to the same degree. And people can't all share the same feelings of outrage over the same issues, nor can they have outrage over every single issue that comes up. Like sometimes we'll see OPs here asking why more people aren't outraged about ______. Well, good god, there really is such a thing as outrage overload.