Green Chart of the Day: 7/22/10

As the poll above illustrates, and the Washington Post reported: “For environmentalists, the BP oil spill may be disproving the maxim that great tragedies produce great change.

“Traditionally, American environmentalism wins its biggest victories after some important piece of American environment is poisoned, exterminated or set on fire. An oil spill and a burning river in 1969 led to new anti-pollution laws in the 1970s. The Exxon Valdez disaster helped create an Earth Day revival in 1990 and sparked a landmark clean-air law.

“But this year, the worst oil spill in U.S. history—and, before that, the worst coal-mining disaster in 40 years—haven’t put the same kind of drive into the debate over climate change and fossil-fuel energy.”