Listen to this article

Two-thirds of New Jersey residents believe climate change is a crisis and almost three-quarters believe it is affecting New Jersey, according to a Stockton University poll released Monday.

The telephone poll of 807 adult New Jersey residents, conducted Sept. 18-29, by the Polling Institute of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton, shows 67 percent believe climate change is a crisis or major problem. A larger group, 73 percent, believe it is already affecting New Jersey.

“The results show climate change is a concern to people all over New Jersey and not just those who live along the Jersey shore,” said John Froonjian, interim director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton, who presented an overview of the results at Coast Day at Stockton Atlantic City on Oct. 13.

Among those who believe climate change is currently affecting New Jersey, more than 75 percent cited rising sea level, earth warming, harming or changing the ocean, extreme weather, and worsening pollution as major problems.

Beach erosion was cited by 70 percent as a major problem, while harm to farming was mentioned by 68 percent, flooding by 66 percent, and health effects by 57 percent.