U. S. Views on the Environment Drop to Record Low

A recent Gallup survey shows that only about one third of Americans feel the environment is good, a new low in the past 25 years. Two out of three people think pollution and climate change are getting worse, and most say the government is not doing enough to protect nature. The study also found that a majority of adults believe safeguarding the planet should outrank economic growth or energy development. Yet only a small fraction think officials are doing enough, and very few feel the government is over‑protecting. Political differences remain stark. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say the environment is fine, but both groups agree that government action falls short. Democratic respondents are especially concerned about climate change and water pollution, while Republicans show much less worry on those topics.People’s worries are split across several issues. The biggest fears involve clean drinking water and the overall health of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs – more than half of respondents rate these as major concerns. Climate change, loss of forests, air pollution, and species extinction also rank high, though the intensity of worry varies widely by party. The survey sampled 1, 000 adults over two weeks and has a four‑percent margin of error. It highlights a growing divide in how Americans view environmental health and the role of government.