What Americans think about climate change

Polls show that the U.S. population is becoming more concerned about global warming.

After a year of strong scientific warnings about melting ice and rising seas, public concern about climate change seems to be rising as quickly as the global thermometer. Poll results comparing opinions in 2006 and 2007 found that over the past year, the number of Americans naming climate change as the world’s biggest environmental problem jumped from 16% to 33% (Washington Post/Time/ABC/Stanford University).

This March, a crowd gathered to support Climate Crisis Action Day, billed by organizers as Washington, D.C. s, first-ever, global warming rally.

Erika Engelhaupt

Last March, a crowd gathered to support Climate Crisis Action Day, billed by organizers as Washington, D.C.’s, first-ever, global warming rally.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), a research group, compiled polling data from 16 surveys conducted during the past year. The data were interpreted at a recent public briefing by Jon Krosnick, professor of communication, political science, and psychology at Stanford University. Results showed a growing partisan divide in opinion, with an increasing number of Democrats saying global warming is happening (from 72% in 2006 to 88% in 2007) while Republicans held about steady. Poll results from this year also revealed that 56% of people think scientists disagree about climate change, compared with 67% in 1998.

Poll highlights:

Various polls find that about half or more Americans think global warming is happening.
76% of Americans believe the effects of global warming are apparent now. —Center for American Progress, April 2007
82% believe global warming exists—an increase of five points since 2005. —Fox News/Opinion Dynamics Corp., February 2007
49% believe global warming is having a serious impact now—up 14 points since 2001. —CBS News/New York Times, April 2007
94% of Americans say they’re willing to make changes in their lives to help the environment in general; 80% say they would make changes even if it means some personal inconvenience. 67% say they would keep their home warmer in the summer or cooler in the winter. —Washington Post/Time/ABC/Stanford University, April 2007
54% feel they understand the global warming issue fairly well; 22% say they understand it very well. —Gallup, March 2007
52% want global warming to be a high priority for government leaders. —CBS News/New York Times, April 2007

For more information on the polls and video of EESI’s briefing, see EESI’s website and climate polling fact sheet. —ERIKA ENGELHAUPT