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AMERICAN.COM

A Magazine of Ideas

NUMBERS

By Karlyn H. Bowman Friday, June 15, 2007

A new weekly feature.

 

 

Global Environment Satisfaction

Satisfaction with efforts to preserve

the environment in my country

enviro real

Americans are more satisfied than residents of the other G-8 countries with efforts to preserve the environment in their own country, while Russians are the least satisfied.  In separate questions, more than 70 percent of Americans, Germans, French, Canadians, Britons, Japanese, and Italians were satisfied with the air and water quality in their nations.  Only 36 percent of Russians were satisfied with their country's air quality and 31 percent were satisfied with its water quality.


 

Source: The Gallup Organization, 2006-2007.

 

 

 

 

"What do you think your sources for news
 and information will be five years from now?TV vs internet

They'd 'Rather' Go Online
Dan Rather outraged former colleagues at CBS when he said this week that executives there were "dumbing down" the CBS Evening News and "tarting it up." In a new survey by Harris Interactive, people in each of seven countries surveyed said that the number one source of news for them is TV network news. When asked about what their sources of news will be in five years, online news gave the networks a run for the money. In no country did even half of those surveyed say they read a newspaper regularly, that is five days a week or more.

Source: Harris Interactive, May 2007.
Note: Only top two responses shown.

 

 

 

 

Organ Donation

Question:  Currently it is illegal for an organ donor to receive any financial incentives for their organ donation.  Some have suggested that this should be changed.  To what extent would you...

 

organ 2

Half of Americans surveyed in a new Harris Interactive/Wall Street Journal poll claim to be registered organ donors, either on their driver's licenses or through their state's registry.  The top reasons given for considering an organ donation were an ability to save someone's life (71 percent said that would be an extremely or very important consideration) and being able to help a family member or friend (67 percent).  At the bottom of the list, only 11 percent said possible financial compensation would be a consideration for them. The population is split down the middle about financial incentives for donation.


Source: Harris Interactive, May 2007.

 

 

Familiarity Breeds Acceptance

gay friends

Four in ten Americans told Pew Research Center interviewers recently that some of their close friends of family members are gay.  With the exception of those over the age of 65, who are less likely to say someone close to them is gay, age differences on this aren't large.  But as the data below show, there is a big male-female difference. In almost all surveys, women and young people are much more accepting of gays than men and older people.

Source: Pew Research Center, November 2006-January 2007. 

 

 

 

Gas Guzzlers
SUV owners have higher median incomes than other car owners, and more of them (39 percent) are planning a long-distance driving vacation this summer than those with other cars (28 percent). SUV owners are also angrier about rising prices at the pump (53 to 42 percent). Not surprisingly, income plays a strong role in reactions to high gas prices. 

Percent in agreement with the statement: Recent gas price increases have caused serious financial hardship for me or others in my householdGasGuzzlers
Source: ABC News/Washington Post, May 2007.