According to the most recent article in Gallup’s Climate Crisis series, over the past year concern over the environment among Americans has dropped. Today, one in four respondents of a recent poll say they are “solidly skeptical” of global warming. The poll found Americans are clustered into three global warming groups. “Concerned Believers” comprise 39 percent and attribute global warming to human actions and are worried. “Mixed Middle” comprise 36 percent and the remainder fall into the category of “Cool Skeptics” – a group that is not worried about global warming much or at all.

Through ongoing polling from a special “cluster” analysis of four questions designed to measure belief and concerns about human-induced global warming, Gallup has found that the rate of “Concerned Believers” has varied but today is in line with 2001 results. During the same decade, the members of “Cool Skeptics” have increased while those aligning with the “Mixed Middle” have modestly declined.

According to results, “Concerned Believers” and “Cool Skeptics” are of different mindsets when it comes to how much they worry about global warming. “Concerned Believers” say they worry “a great deal” or “fair amount” about the issue, while “Cool Skeptics” worry only “a little” or “not at all.” “Concerned Believers” also think media reports about the issue are either correct or underestimated, while “Cool Skeptics” think they are exaggerated. One hundred percent of “Concerned Believers” say the rise in the Earth’s temperature over the last century is due to the effects of pollution, while 100 percent of “Cool Skeptics” say it is due to natural changes in the environment. Finally, two-thirds of “Concerned Believers” believe global warming will pose a serious threat to their own way of life in the future, while 100 percent of “Cool Skeptics” disagree.

Those in the “Mixed Middle” hold a combination of views. Some believe humans are the cause of the Earth’s warming, but aren’t worried about it. Some say global warming is a natural phenomenon, but that it will pose a serious risk in their lifetime. In one way or another, those in the “Mixed Middle” fail to line up with the orthodoxy on either side of the climate science issue.

In the past decade, skepticism has increased, while “Concerned Believers” have recovered to pre-Climategate levels and the Mixed Middle has dwindled. So all in all, what the analysis found is that American’s views have grown more polarized about the issue.