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Even Among Allies, Image of U.S. Drops
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A majority or a clear plurality branded the United States as the country "hurting the world's environment the most."
In China, where a booming economy has contributed to severe pollution, 70 percent of respondents cited environmental concerns as a top global danger and 42 percent said global warming was a very serious problem.
China came in a distant second as the country seen as most hurting the environment.
Among Americans, 37 percent listed the environment in general as a top concern, a figure lower than in any other advanced industrialized country, and 47 percent said global warming was a "very" serious problem. One in three Americans blamed the United States for pollution problems.
In other areas, there was disagreement on what constitutes the world's gravest dangers. The spread of nuclear weapons, for example, troubled 68 percent of Japanese and 66 percent of Israelis surveyed, but just slightly more than 20 percent in France and South Africa.
AIDS and other infectious diseases drew the greatest concern in Africa, perhaps a reflection of high rates of HIV and the related loss on that continent. A widening gap between rich and poor was also a primary concern in Africa and several other regions.
Overall, Americans said they believe the United States offers a better life to immigrants. And despite the low image of U.S. policies around the world, most people surveyed in other countries also viewed the United States as a land of opportunity. "The perception that America provides good opportunities for emigrants is common even in countries where U.S. favorability is low or has dipped in recent years," the survey found.
More than 45,000 people were interviewed by telephone or in person for the study, which has a margin of error of two to four percentage points for each country.
