Poll: Americans more positive on environmental conditions

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Americans say they are more positive about environmental conditions in the United States, but a majority of them continue to rate the nation’s environment as only fair or poor, according to a Gallup poll published Monday.

Overall, 46% of respondents said they rated the quality of the environment as excellent or good, up from 39% in March 2009. Still, 53% said they saw environmental conditions as only fair or poor, according to Gallup.

With major environmental legislation on climate change working its way through Congress, fewer respondents said they viewed environmental issues as the most important facing the nation. Two percent said it was the important problem today, while 11% said they saw the environment as the most important problem facing the country in future decades, compared with 14% in 2007 and 2008.

Over the last decade, no more than a small percentage of Americans have cited the environment as the most important problem facing the country today, Gallup said.

The results are based on 1,014 adults surveyed March 4 to March 7. There is a 4 percentage-point margin of error.

-- Michael Muskal

Twitter.com/LATimesmuskal