According to a recent opinion poll conducted on the eve of the 190-nation talks in Copenhagen to address climate change, world concern about climate change has decreased over the past two years. The Nielsen/Oxford University survey of over 27,000 Internet users in 54 countries revealed that 37 percent were "very concerned" about climate change, a drop from 41 percent in a similar poll conducted two years ago. The poll, conducted in October, attributed this decline to the global economic slowdown. In the United States, the number of individuals who were "very concerned" about climate change dropped from 34 percent to 25 percent. President Barack Obama is aiming to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from the burning of fossil fuels. He plans to attend a meeting in Copenhagen at the end of the Dec. 7-18 gathering along with over 100 world leaders to work towards a new UN agreement. A survey showed that China, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, saw an increase in the number of people who are very concerned about the issue, rising from 30 to 36 percent. The highest levels of concern were found in Latin America and Asian-Pacific countries, with the Philippines leading at 78 percent, likely due to the impact of Typhoon Ketsana in September. The survey did not include most African countries. Eastern Europe had the lowest level of concern for global warming, which is attributed to human emissions of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels. According to Jonathan Banks, Business Insights Director Europe of the Nielsen Co., Estonia had the lowest level of concern about climate change at just 10 percent. He mentioned that economic issues had temporarily overshadowed climate change concerns, but with the focus on the Copenhagen summit, the issue is expected to gain more attention again. The survey found that globally, air and water pollution, followed by climate change, were the top environmental concerns for people around the world.