NEW HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A nationwide survey suggests an increasing number of U.S. citizens considers global warming an important threat that calls for drastic action.

The survey by Yale University, The Gallup Organization and the ClearVision Institute showed 40 percent of respondents said a presidential candidate's position on the issue will strongly influence the vote.

"One of the most surprising findings was the growing sense of urgency," said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change and the study's principal investigator. "Nearly half of Americans now believe global warming is either already having dangerous impacts on people around the world or will in the next 10 years -- a 20-percentage-point increase since 2004."

The survey, among other things, found 62 percent of respondents believe life on Earth will continue without major disruptions only if society takes immediate and drastic action to reduce global warming.

The July 23-26 telephone survey involving interviews with 1,011 adults aged 18 years or older is considered representative of U.S. adults nationwide. It has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

The complete survey results are available at http://environment.yale.edu/news/5305-american-opinions-on-global-warming/.