2. Emotional Responses to Global Warming

Jul 20, 2022 | All Categories

Climate Change in the American Mind, April 2022


2.1. A majority of Americans are worried about global warming.

A majority of Americans (64%) say they are at least “somewhat worried” about global warming. This includes three in ten Americans (30%) who are “very worried” about global warming.

2.2. A majority of Americans are “interested” in global warming.

When asked how strongly they feel various emotions when thinking about global warming, about six in ten Americans (62%) say they feel “very” or “moderately” interested. Additionally, about half say they feel disgusted or sad (both 51%) when thinking about global warming. Four in ten or more say they feel afraid (46%), angry (44%), or outraged (42%), and 38% say they feel hopeful.


Citation

Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Carman, J., Neyens, L., Myers, T., Goldberg, M., Campbell, E., Lacroix, K., & Marlon, J. (2022). Climate Change in the American Mind, April 2022. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

Funding Source

The research was funded by the 11th Hour Project, the Energy Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, and the Grantham Foundation.