There has been a lot of chatter about Americans pulling back from their previously expressed desires for firm national action against climate change. Two recent snapshot polls seem to reveal a growing distrust of global warming science, and a belief that economic concerns must come first, even if that means further environmental damage. 

But not so fast. Deeper polling puts a different, even conflicting spin on the question, finding that more than 90% of Americans say they want the government to act firmly to reduce global warming. Even more surprising, 74% believe the climate crisis is sufficiently urgent that moderate to large economic costs are justified in launching a response. This new survey, conducted in the fall after the recession hit Americans hard, was just released by researchers at Yale and George Mason Universities.The full study can be downloaded at George Mason’s Center for Climate Change Communication. 

What do the seemingly conflicting polls really mean? They show Americans are deeply concerned about both the economy and the environment, but they are confused, see-sawing, and continually tempted to embrace the ideologically driven, feel-good pseudo-science of global warming denial.

There is a counter to this confusion and temptation to embrace a comforting lie (i.e., the earth is really cooling). The counter is simple truth: that the very measures that will help fight climate change — elimination of waste and inefficiency, conservation, and the big-time ramping up of important new industries for green transportation, green buildings, and renewable energy — will also play a huge role in lifting us out of economic recession. It will not be easy, but the linkage is there.

Edward Humes is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of 10 nonfiction books including "Eco Barons."