Lighting dark days in Copenhagen

WASHINGTON — A solid majority of Americans support the idea of a global treaty that would require the United States to reduce significantly greenhouse gas emissions, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, although many also express concern about the potential impact on the economy.

The results provide some encouragement for President Obama, who attends the United Nations conference on climate change in Copenhagen on Friday. By 55%-38%, those surveyed endorse a binding accord to limit the gases tied to global warming.

By a lopsided 7-1, however, Americans say the administration should put a higher priority on improving the economy than reducing global warming. (Jamie's Note: And they are split on the likely economic impact of enacting new environmental and energy laws to address climate change: 42% say they will hurt the economy; 36% say they will help.

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"There's a lot of public support for various climate policy approaches that diminishes as you begin to put a specific dollar figure with it," says Barry Rabe, a University of Michigan political scientist who studies public opinion on the environment. He says the findings show many Americans open to persuasion.

For instance, two in 10 say new environmental laws "definitely" will hurt the economy; one in 10 say they "definitely" will help. Two thirds are somewhere in the middle, less certain of the economic effect or saying it would have no impact at all.

Young people, those 18 to 29 years old, are by far the most supportive of a treaty, backing the idea by 66%-26%. Those over 65 are opposed by 49%-42%.

There also are geographic differences. Support is highest in the East, lowest in the South.

Battles between Democrats representing environment-conscious coastal areas and those from Rust Belt states that depend on coal have complicated White House efforts to push an energy bill through Congress. The House passed a measure in June, but it is stalled in the Senate. In Copenhagen, world leaders who struggled to reach a binding treaty now are working toward an interim one.

Americans are divided about where to strike the balance between the economy and the environment: 46% say they worry more that the United States will take actions against global warming that cripple the U.S. economy. An additional 38% worry more that the country will not take action against global warming because of economic concerns.

The poll of 1,025 adults taken Friday-Sunday has an error margin of +/–4 percentage points.

Barack Obama started the year with a job approval rating of 64%-25% — a net positive standing by a formidable 39 percentage points.

Now, he closes the year with a rating of 49%-46%. That net positive rating of three points is his narrowest so far. The approval rating matches his record low in early October and the disapproval rating equals his record high later that month.

That is the worst standing in Gallup for any modern elected president at the end of his first year, though it's close to Ronald Reagan's 49%-41% rating in December 1981 — also a time of economic woe.

And that Nobel Peace Prize?

Americans apparently weren't swayed by the address Obama delivered in Oslo last week when he picked up the award. By 61%-35%, those surveyed say he didn't deserve it, almost precisely the same as when the prize was announced in October.