New Gallup polling finds Americans more willing than at any time in more than 20 years to let the environment go a bit to revive the economy, and less worried about the quality of their environment - though a majority still rate it only fair to poor.
In a survey earlier this month of more than 1,000 adults, 53 percent said economic growth should be the nation's top priority, even if the environment has to suffer. Just 38 percent put their priority on environmental protection, even if it limited growth. The share of Americans favoring the environment over growth is the lowest since 1984, according to Gallup.
When asked their assessment of the quality of their environment, 46 percent said it was excellent or good, while 53 percent chose fair or poor. Those figures mirror attitudes in 2001. Just 34 percent said they worried a great deal about the environment, down from 40 percent in 2008.
What do you think? Would you prefer to see a pause or even a rollback in environmental protections to encourage more economic activity? Or do you think that's short-sighted? What do you think of our air quality? The Chesapeake Bay? Getting better, worse or about the same?