Poll: Americans Link Hurricane Katrina and Heat Wave to Global Warming

As Americans recover from this summer’s heat wave and mark the first anniversary next week of Hurricane Katrina , an overwhelming majority say they are more convinced that global warming is happening than they were two years ago, and they are also connecting intense weather events like hurricane Katrina and heat waves to global warming, according to a new Zogby America telephone poll.

The survey, sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, was conducted Aug. 11–16, and included 1,018 respondents. It carries a margin of error of +/– 3.1 percentage points.

Nearly three of every four – 74% – are more convinced today that global warming is a reality than they were two years ago, the survey shows. Dramatically, it is a sentiment shared by a majority of Democrats, Republicans, and political independents. While many more Democrats believe in global warming (87%), 56% of Republicans concur. Among independents, 82% think we are experiencing the effects of global warming. These numbers indicate a shift in the momentum of global warming believers.

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