Climate change in the American mind: May 2017

Abstract

This report presents the findings of a nationally representative survey of 1,266 American adults (18+) conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication in May 2017 to assess American public opinion regarding various aspects of climate change. Results indicate that 70% of Americans believe that global warming is happening, although only about one in eight are convinced that humans are causing it. Additionally, 57% of the public reports being worried about global warming, 17% very worried, although few expect to be personally harmed by it. Americans believe that global warming poses a threat to the environment, people in developing countries, the world’s poor, and future generations. Majorities of Americans also think that global warming is affecting the weather in the United States, with half of the public believing that weather in the US is being affected “a lot” or “some.” Four in ten Americans say that they have personally experienced the effects of global warming, and 40% say their family and friends make at least “a moderate amount of effort” to reduce global warming. The most common reason given for doing so is to provide a better life for children and grandchildren (24%). Seven percent say that humans can and will successfully reduce global warming. Nearly half (48%) say humans could reduce global warming, but it’s unclear at this point whether we will do what is necessary, and nearly one in four (24%) say we won’t because people are unwilling to change their behavior. – AI-generated abstract.