Americans are more scared of clowns than they are of climate change.
According to a poll conducted by Chapman University, 42 per cent of Americans are afraid of clowns, whereas only 32 per cent are afraid of climate change.
They’re also more scared of terrorist attacks (41 per cent), gun rights infringement (38 per cent), family members dying (38 per cent), economic collapse (37 per cent), Obamacare (36 per cent), and biological warfare (35 per cent).
If you believe Vox’s snarky coverage, this is evidence that the American public is very stupid.
We get it: Clowns are creepy. Especially when lingering in empty parking lots at 3:30 in the morning, holding black balloons. But are they scarier than real threats, like climate change, economic hardship, or the death of loved ones?
According to Americans, yes. Yes, they are.
I’d disagree. The results of the poll suggests that Americans have a generally sensible perspective on what constitutes a genuine threat to their wellbeing – top of the list, even higher than a terrorist attack, is corrupt government (61 per cent).
Also, it accords well with a far more important global survey – so important it deserves a separate article which you can read here – showing just how low a priority climate change is for most people in the world.
Essentially climate change has become a luxury problem which only liberals in rich countries can afford to worry about. For everyone else, there are many, many more pressing concerns…