This report is based on findings from a nationally representative survey – Climate Change in the American Mind – conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. Interview dates: […]
Americans who think global warming is happening outnumber those who think it is not happening by a ratio of nearly 5 to 1 (72% versus 15%).
Those who are “very” or “extremely” sure global warming is happening outnumber those who are “very” or “extremely” sure it is not happening by about 6 to 1 (49% versus 8%).
58% of Americans understand that global warming is mostly human-caused. By contrast, 29% think it is caused mostly by natural changes in the environment.
53% of Americans understand that most scientists think global warming is happening.
Most of us are not scientists or have a good handle on the latest climate research. We have to trust in what scientists tell us that climate change is real and is something we need to worry about. In that sense, acceptance of science relies on people's beliefs.
This kind of research is just trying to measure the nature of people's climate opinions, which people tend to think of in terms of their beliefs.