When former Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson took his no-coal message to the Natrona County Commission recently, he easily roiled emotions.

"I do believe we need to be good stewards and I think we are, but some of the issues that I have with global warming advocates is that they always seem to direct all of their focus at coal and oil and gas, and that's what drives our state," Commissioner Matt Keating told Anderson.

The world's top scientists say human-caused CO2 is almost certainly a key factor in global warming. But that doesn't sit well in Wyoming, where coal mining contributed more than $734 million to the state's economy in 2005.

Keating said he believed the national discussion about global warming isn't honest. He's not alone in his suspicion. In fact, Wyoming has the largest percentage of voters among six Western states who doubt climate change.

A majority of Wyomingites -- 53 percent -- do not believe climate change is scientifically proven, according to a Mason-Dixon poll which surveyed 400 voters each in Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.

Yet 41 percent of Wyomingites believe the benefits of taking action regarding climate change are worth the economic investment.

Commissioner Barb Peryam said what irritated commissioners about Anderson's approach was an insistence that coal is evil and efforts to make it cleaner are insincere.

"I had to call him on the fact that he spoke in broad generalities, that it's unanimous that global warming exists and it's a tremendous problem," Peryam said. "That, to me, was unacceptable as broad and general statements. You can't pawn it off as unanimous agreement."

Many people in Wyoming believe the immediate impact of climate change is their jobs, given that so much of the state's economy relies on the development of coal, natural gas and oil.

"It's interesting that the majority would not believe (climate change is) real, but most would support investing in doing something about it," said Worth Christie, a retired insurance agent running for county commissioner as a Democrat. "We look at our skies and they are blue, and so people are reluctant to accept what doesn't appear to be affecting us at this point in time."

The poll shows Wyoming voters are split -- 41 percent to 41 percent -- about whether reacting to climate change is worth the investment. Christie said the general willingness to take some action might be evidence that Wyomingites realize that, despite their beliefs regarding climate change, the rest of the nation is demanding cleaner energy.

He said investments to make coal cleaner are wise "because it enhances the long-term marketability of the resources Wyoming possesses, whether it's coal, natural gas or wind."

Jim Huntington, 49, of Cheyenne said he feels bombarded by messages in the media that the earth's atmosphere is warming, and that man is to blame.

"I don't do scientific research by any means, I'm busy taking care of my family and working. But I don't see the other side being presented," he said.

Huntington said he's not convinced one way or the other on climate change, and he suspects that environmental advocates have an agenda.

"The issue here, I think, is this may be used as political and social leverage in order to bring about changes to our lifestyle, and this is the tool to achieve that goal," Huntington said.

Climate change is a political tightrope for elected officials, whether local, state or at the federal level. Many Wyoming politicians rely on the politically safe statement that global warming is now "political reality," and therefore it's safe to take action without committing to whether or not the science is proven.

Personal beliefs are more difficult to explain. The Mason-Dixon poll's finding that most Wyomingites are not convinced of climate change is perplexing for those who do accept the body of scientific evidence.

Journalist Jeff Goodell, author of "Big Coal," likens the dialogue between climate change believers and non-believers to discussions between differing religions.

"What do you say to people who don't believe in evolution?" Goodell said.

Wyoming State Climatologist Steve Gray warns that as droughts become more intense and heat waves increase in intensity, there will be more demand for water, and water conservation is something the state needs to address.

"There are many different lines of evidence pointing toward the climate changing, right now, and setting up for major changes," Gray said.

Gray said it helps no one when the climate change discussion is politicized. The most rational way to discuss climate change is within the realm of science -- things we can observe.

"I would suggest people look for themselves," Gray said. "Not only is there evidence in that the climate is changing and the earth as a whole is changing, but the way we use land, the way we build homes, the way we make a living -- all of these things are changing at once. People should ask themselves, 'What are my own observations?'"

Energy reporter Dustin Bleizeffer can be reached at (307) 577-6069 or dustin.bleizeffer@trib.com.