At a time when the Republican race for the Presidential nomination might lead Canadians to think that anti-climate change sentiments are rising in that country,  a new Ipsos poll conducted behalf of Stanford University and Reuters actually suggests the opposite. The poll, conducted between September 8 and September 12, 2011, indicates a significant increase in the number of Americans who believe the earth has been warming, from 75% in 2010 to 83% now. Especially noteworthy is the finding that almost three-quarters (72%) of Republicans believe global warming has been happening. A large majority believe that climate change is caused by things that people have been doing, as opposed to natural causes and a similar large majority believe that the world’s temperature will continue to rise over the next 100 years if nothing is done to prevent it.

However, the poll shows that climate change is still a somewhat misunderstood subject and opinions remain somewhat volatile. Future public opinion may well be influenced by the outcomes of the 2012 Presidential race.

A press release containing poll highlights as well as the full report are available at http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=5337