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Poll: Chinese more concerned about the environment than Americans
Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com
April 7, 2008


A poll released today by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences found that 10.2 percent of the Chinese population lists environmental concerns as the nation's number one issue. It is the fourth highest concern among the Chinese after health care, employment, and the income-gap. According to the poll, the Chinese view the environment as higher than corruption, social security, housing prices, and the cost of education.

In comparison with a recent American poll, the Chinese are more than twice as likely to rank the environment as their largest issue. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll taken from March7-10th, showed that only 4 percent of Americans view environmental issues as the nation's number one concern. The environment comes in seventh after (in order) job creation and the economy, the war in Iraq, health care, energy and cost of gas, terrorism, and illegal immigration. Both terrorism and illegal immigration beat the environment by 5 percent points. According to the poll, the only issue that the environment trumps is foreign policy and Iran.

Two more recent polls, one taken by CNN and the other by CBS/New York Times in March/April, do not include the environment as an option among their most-important issues. However, both polls give the economy, the war in Iraq, health care, and immigration as options.

The Chinese poll was a yearlong survey, interviewing 3,001 participants. The NBC New/Wall Street Journal poll interviewed 1,012 registered voters.