By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

A new poll has some stunning news: Americans have grown cooler to the possibility that global warming exists. It's a victory of sorts for naysayers of climate change.

But it's not a complete victory. A majority of poll respondents also indicate they still want to try to control harmful emissions that do (yes, do) contribute to global warming.

Now the bad news:

The Pew Research Institute's poll found that 57 percent of respondents think the scientific evidence clearly shows the world is getting warmer.

That's way, way down from 71 percent last year and 77 percent in 2006.

Still, even the 57 percent margin is still a majority.

Plus, leading scientific organizations continue to provide more and more proof about global warming's effects on the worldwide environment.

In short, just because a large portion of the problem doesn't think there's a problem has no bearing on whether the problem really exists.

However, what the new poll could do is make it more difficult for President Barack Obama and Democrats to pass climate change legislation this year.

Republicans certainly will point to growing public skepticism as a reason to go slowly or even halt climate change legislation.

And the GOP will at least have a modicum of reason for doing that: People are more worried about the economy and its effects on their paychecks.

Environmental concerns have dropped a notch on the public's interest level.

That does not mean, though, that Congress should get a free pass to do nothing on climate change this year. Global warming exists, and the United States has the responsibility to ramp up efforts to control harmful emissions that contribute to the problem.