The American public fears some effects of climate change, but not enough to raise economy-crippling legislation to stop it.

Gallup’s most recent poll on the subject shows that on a list of issues Americans consider important, climate change consistently comes in last or close to it. Although 65% believe it is happening, or will happen in their lifetimes, only 36% believe it will affect them significantly. These numbers are down from 2008 highs of 75% and 40%.

The Cornwall Alliance has contributed to this shift, as even the Huffington Post reported. Our Resisting the Green Dragon video series, our Renewed Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor: An Evangelical Examination of the Theology, Science, and Economics of Global Warming, and our Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming (Sign it here!) have reduced the influence of the billions of dollars the U.S. government spends on climate posturing.

Belief in the danger of global warming splits along predictable lines. Fifty-seven percent of 18- to 29-year-olds believe global warming is not a threat within their lifetimes, numbers similar to the 30–49 and 50–64 crowds. But 82% of the over-65 crowd is unafraid of climate change. Memory helps.

Political affiliation factors in as well. Eighty-one percent of Republicans reject the claim that climate change poses an immediate threat. A strong minority dismisses the threat entirely. Independents are divided but strongly believe climate change will not drastically affect their lives. Most Democrats believe climate change not only has already begun to affect them (73%) but also presents a serious threat in their lifetimes (56%). Overall, however, Americans are turned off to constant doom and gloom.

One disturbing trend emerges, though. Despite Americans’ general lack of primary concern for the potential threats of climate change, our government, like those of most developed countries, continues to waste tens and hundreds of billions of dollars every year combating climate change—money that could be spent improving lives here and around the world instead. Climate scientist Roger Pielke Jr.—who believes man is causing historically unprecedented global warming—testified and later defended before the U.S. Senate that the disastrous, human-related risks of climate change will continue to diminish as growing wealth shields us from its effects.

Most Americans, at least subconsciously, get the picture: Climate change may be happening to some degree, but it doesn’t warrant painful, poverty-inducing, government-restructuring, life-ending, rights-reducing laws and regulations.

It would be bad enough if U.S. policies affected only Americans, but they don’t. Ethanol fuel mandates and subsidies raise global grain prices, causing an extra 192,000 starvation deaths per year among the poor in developing countries. Even worse are our policies regarding developing-world energy production. By refusing to finance inexpensive, dependable coal- and natural gas-based electric power plants in poor countries, insisting on expensive and undependable wind and solar instead, we prolong their poverty and high rates of starvation, disease, and premature death.

These tragic deaths of people made in God’s image can and should be prevented.

Though spoken in a different context, God’s words to Israel in the wilderness apply:

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.[Deuteronomy 30:19]