Drawing on a nationally representative survey (n = 1,011) conducted from April 18 to May 1, 2023, this report describes Americans' beliefs and attitudes about global warming. Among the key findings of this report:
- Americans who think global warming is happening now outnumber those who think it is not happening by a ratio of nearly 5 to 1 (74% versus 15%).
- Americans who think global warming is happening now outnumber those who think it is not happening by a ratio of nearly 5 to 1 (74% versus 15%).
- A majority of Americans (57%) disagree with the statement "the actions of a single individual won't make any difference in global warming," while 42% agree.
- A majority of Americans (65%) think global warming is affecting weather in the United States, including 33% who think weather is being affected "a lot."
- Majorities of Americans think global warming is affecting many environmental problems in the United States including extreme heat (75%), rising sea levels (72%), wildfires (71%), droughts (71%), flooding (69%), water shortages (69%), hurricanes (68%), air pollution (67%), tornados (66%), reduced snow pack (62%), agricultural pests and diseases (61%), water pollution (60%), and electricity power outages (58%).
- A majority of Americans (56%) think extreme weather poses either a "high" (18%) or "moderate" (38%) risk to their community over the next 10 years.
The full report includes many other important results, including how Americans perceive the risks of global warming, how often they talk about global warming with family and friends, and how often they hear about it in the media. |
