Earth Day revisited. (Opinion Pulse).(Americans do not put environmental matters high on their current list of priorities)(Illustration)

Thirty-three years after the first Earth Day in 1970, Americans remain deeply committed to a clean and healthy environment. But with concerns about war and the economy uppermost in their minds, Americans do not put environmental matters high on their current list of priorities. Large majorities feel good about the quality of the environment where they live. Fifty-five percent are satisfied with the quality of the environment in the nation, but 42 percent are not. Most people say they are sympathetic to, but not active in, the environmental movement.

 
Question: How important is it to you ...? 
 
                  Extremely important that the 
                  President and Congress deal 
                  with this issue next year 
 
    Terrorism     59% 
          The     49 
      economy 
The situation     46 
    with Iraq 
       Health     45 
   care costs 
    Education     44 
 Prescription     44 
    drugs for 
      seniors 
       Social     41 
     Security 
 Unemployment     39 
      Foreign     38 
      affairs 
     Medicare     36 
      Federal     32 
       budget 
      deficit 
        Taxes     28 
          The     25 
  environment 
     Abortion     17 
 
Note: Table made from bar graph. 
 
Note: Twenty-five percent said it was extremely important for the 
President and Congress to deal with the environment, 38 percent thought 
it was very important, 30 percent said ...