Study: Global warming is low priority

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A U.S. environmentalist said that although most people believe global warming is real, they view it as a moderate risk and not deserving of top priority.

University of Oregon Professor Anthony Leiserowitz said his conclusions are based on an analysis of a 2003 national survey. His study showed although data demonstrating climate change have grown stronger in recent years, Americans rank global warming as a low priority compared with other national issues such as the Iraq war and healthcare.

"One of the most important things that we found is what we didn't find," said Leiserowitz. "We found no references, no associations, of the impacts of climate change on either human health or extreme weather events. Yet these are, arguably, among the most important potential impacts, because, ultimately, the consequences are going hurt people."

Leiserowitz presented his study during the weekend in San Francisco at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.