Religious Americans overwhelmingly believe they have a duty to protect the Earth, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center, with 80 percent saying God entrusted them with that responsibility. The survey also found that 42 percent prayed for the environment in the past year.
But that sense of duty doesn’t necessarily mean they’re clamoring to take on climate change. Less than half of highly religious people considered the overheating planet a “very” or “extremely” serious problem, though two-thirds said it was at least “somewhat” serious. In comparison, almost three-quarters of people with low religious commitment said climate change was a very serious problem.
At more than 100 pages long, the Pew poll is one of the most in-depth surveys on the link between Americans’ religious beliefs and climate views to date, offering a deeper look into why religious people tend to be less concerned about climate than their nonreligious counterparts.
Researchers pointed to politics as the most convincing explanation. Respons... Read more
