Three years ago, it was 11 percent. While nearly half -- 49 percent -- now predict a worse environment for the next generation, that's still better than the 57 percent in the 2007 survey.
Men are slightly more optimistic than women, according to CBS, and wealthier Americans tend to have a brighter outlook on the environment. The most pessimistic people among the 858 adults questioned in the nationwide phone survey three weeks ago are those under age 45. Fifteen percent of them think the environment will improve, and 54 percent expect it to worsen.





