Public support for taking action to combat global warming has fallen sharply in the past year.

There’s been a 14% drop in the number of Americans who think there’s solid evidence that Earth is warming up due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. In September, 57% said the science linking GHG emissions to global warming was strong. In April 2008, the number was 71%.

And, the number of people who think global warming is a serious problem has also dropped — 35% today compared to 44% a year ago.

But these new numbers aren’t stopping Congress from barreling ahead on a GHG cap-and-trade legislation.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has released her version of a global warming bill, a gigantic 925-page draft that she calls the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. It mostly echoes a bill adopted by the House earlier this year.

Boxer’s committee holds three comprehensive hearings this week to wade through her draft. She says her bill would cost Americans about $100 a year.

Some business groups are still jumping on the climate change bandwagon.

For example, Pennsylvania Business Leaders for a Clean Energy Economy will testify that the mix of GHG reduction and clean energy measures in Boxer’s bill will create 78,000 green jobs in the Keystone State. Job creation will fall largely in three areas: energy efficiency, renewable energy and controlling GHG emissions.

Many more traditional industries will lambaste the measure for raising energy prices, making U.S. companies less competitive and driving more production offshore.

Meanwhile, a new study by statisticians debunks recent claims that the Earth is cooling rather than warming.

Tags: cap-and-trade, global warming, Pew Research