Take the Pinheads Polling

Poll says most Americans back ultra-strength environmental protections

Nearly half of all U.S. adults think the government's doing too little to protect the environment. Almost three-quarters say that eco-protections are important, and that standards cannot be too high. No, you're not dreaming -- it's a fresh new Harris Interactive poll on attitudes of Americans toward environmental protection. The survey of a nationwide cross section of 1,217 adults indicated that 71 percent think large corporations are doing less than their share to help reduce environmental problems. Fifty-three percent say President Bush isn't stepping up to the plate, 57 percent think Congress needs a kick in the butt, and 44 percent say the media isn't doing enough. Water and air pollution rank as the highest-priority problems, followed closely by global warming, ozone depletion, loss of forestlands, and the need for more recycling. Despite these opinions -- which are, in the context of today's political scene, extremely green -- only 12 percent self-identify as environmentalists. Go figure.