Poll: Plurality thinks human activity has bigger effect on climate than the sun

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely U.S. Voters think it’s at least somewhat likely that the level of activity on the sun, including solar flares and sunspots, has an impact on the long-term heating and cooling of the earth’s atmosphere. Just 22% feel that it’s unlikely solar activity influences the atmosphere’s long-term temperature…

Still, 44% of voters thinks human activity has a bigger impact on the long-term heating and cooling of the Earth’s atmosphere than solar activity does. Thirty-seven percent (37%) disagree and believe solar activity has a greater impact. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure…

Most voters (59%) say global warming is at least a somewhat serious problem. However, voters over the past three years have been trending away from the belief that human activity is primarily the cause of global warming and have been more inclined to blame planetary trends instead.