The biggest environmental issue of concern for respondents was the pollution of drinking water (according to 56% of those surveyed) and the maintenance of the nation’s supply of fresh water (53%); 38% of Republicans said they worry “a great deal” about pollution of drinking water, and 31% said they cared about the maintenance of the nation’s supply of fresh water—compared to only 6% of Republicans who feel the same about climate change. This comes as the Colorado River, which supplies water to Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, faces historic water scarcity and a battle over water rights. Record dry conditions are also raising fears of drought in parts of North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida.
Over time, beliefs about the cause of global warming have diverged greatly by political party, polling shows. In 2001, 72% of Democrats, 59% of Independents, and 52% of Republicans attributed global warming to pollution from human activities. Now, 90% of Democrats, 65% of independents and just 28% of Republicans say this.
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