Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs and Attitudes, Fall 2024

Report Summary

This report is based on findings from a nationally representative survey – Climate Change in the American Mind – conducted jointly by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. Interview dates: December 11 -22, 2024. Interviews: 1,013 adults (18+), Average margin of error for registered voters: +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

 

Principal Investigators:

Anthony Leiserowitz, PhD
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

Edward Maibach, MPH, PhD
George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication

Seth Rosenthal, PhD
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

John Kotcher, PhD
George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication

For all media and other inquiries, please email:

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication: Eric Fine ([email protected]) and Michaela Hobbs ([email protected])

George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication: Edward Maibach ([email protected]) and John Kotcher ([email protected])

Climate Change in the American Mind is conducted jointly by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication.

Executive Summary

Drawing on a nationally representative survey (n = 1,013) conducted from December 11 – 22, 2024, this report describes Americans’1 beliefs and attitudes about global warming. Among the key findings in this report:

Global Warming Beliefs

• Americans who think global warming is happening outnumber those who think it is not happening by a ratio of more than 5 to 1 (73% versus 14%).
• 60% of Americans understand that global warming is mostly human-caused. By contrast, 28% think it is caused mostly by natural changes in the environment.
• 57% of Americans understand that most scientists think global warming is happening. By contrast, 21% think there is a lot of disagreement among scientists about whether it is happening.

Worry About Global Warming

• 64% of Americans say they are at least “somewhat worried” about global warming. This includes 28% who say they are “very worried.”

Perceived Risks and Impacts of Global Warming

• 48% of Americans think people in the United States are being harmed by global warming “right now,” and 49% say they have personally experienced the effects of global warming.
• Majorities of Americans think global warming will harm plant and animal species (70%), the world’s poor (68%), people in developing countries (68%), people in the United States (63%), people in their community (53%), and their family (51%). Many also think they themselves (46%) will be harmed.
• 11% of Americans have considered moving to avoid the impacts of global warming.
• 66% of Americans think global warming is affecting weather in the United States, including 35% 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 (77%), wildfires2 (74%), droughts (73%), flooding (72%), rising sea levels (71%), hurricanes (71%), air pollution (68%), water shortages (67%), reduced snowpack (65%), tornados (65%), water pollution (63%), electricity power outages (62%), and agricultural pests and diseases (61%).
• 56% of Americans think extreme weather poses either a “high” (16%) or “moderate” (40%) risk to their community over the next 10 years.

Harm from Local Environmental Problems

• Majorities of Americans say they are worried their local area might be harmed by environmental problems including air pollution (75%), electricity power outages (74%), water pollution (74%), droughts (70%), extreme heat (69%), agricultural pests and diseases (66%), flooding (61%), water shortages (61%), tornados (57%), and wildfires3 (55%). Many Americans are also worried their local area might be harmed by reduced snowpack (43%), hurricanes (42%), and rising sea levels (42%).

Personal and Social Engagement with Global Warming

• 62% of Americans say they “rarely” or “never” discuss global warming with family and friends, while 38% say they do so “occasionally” or “often.”
• 37% of Americans think it is at least “moderately” important to their family and friends that they take action to reduce global warming (an injunctive norm), and 36% say their family and friends make at least “a moderate amount of effort” to reduce global warming (a descriptive norm).
• 47% of Americans say they hear about global warming in the media about once a month or more frequently. Fewer say they hear about global warming on social media once a month or more often (27%) or that they hear people they know talk about global warming once a month or more frequently (20%).
• 65% of Americans say the issue of global warming is either “extremely,” “very,” or “somewhat” important to them personally, while 35% say it is either “not too” or “not at all” personally important.
• 31% of Americans say they have rewarded companies that are taking steps to reduce global warming by buying their products at least “once” in the past 12 months; 26% say they have punished companies that are opposing steps to reduce global warming by not buying their products at least “once.”

1. Global Warming Beliefs

1.1 Most Americans think global warming is happening.

Americans who think global warming is happening outnumber those who think it is not by a ratio of about 5 to 1.

Seven in ten Americans (73%) think global warming is happening. By contrast, only 14% of Americans think global warming is not happening. Additionally, 14% say they don’t know if global warming is happening (refer to data tables, p. 26).

1.2 When Americans who “don’t know” if global warming is happening are asked for their best guess, more say “yes” than “no.”

Survey respondents who say they “don’t know” whether global warming is happening are then asked to provide their best guess as to whether or not global warming is happening. Over time, this follow-up question has produced a relatively stable pattern in which more of these Americans “lean” toward “yes” than “no” (refer to data tables, p. 27).

When the “leaners,” as determined by this follow-up question, are added to the totals of those who responded “yes” or “no” to the question reported in Section 1.1, we find that a total of 82% of Americans think global warming is happening or lean toward that position, while 18% think global warming is not happening or lean toward that position.

1.3 About half of Americans are “extremely” or “very” sure global warming is happening.

About half of Americans (52%) are either “extremely” (31%) or “very” (21%) sure global warming is happening (refer to data tables, p. 28). Far fewer (8%) are “extremely” (3%) or “very” (5%) sure global warming is not happening (refer to data tables, p. 29).

1.4 A majority of Americans think global warming is mostly human-caused.

A 2023 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which summarizes all of the world’s peer-reviewed scientific studies on climate change, concluded that “Human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming.”1

A majority of Americans (60%) understand that global warming is mostly human-caused. By contrast, 28% think it is caused mostly by natural changes in the environment.

1.5 A majority of Americans understand that most scientists think global warming is happening.

A review by Cook and colleagues2 found that six independent, peer-reviewed studies examining the scientific consensus about global warming have concluded that between 90% and 100% of climate scientists are convinced human-caused global warming is happening. A more recent study found that as many as 98% of climate scientists are convinced global warming is happening and human-caused.3

A majority of Americans (57%) understand that most scientists think global warming is happening. By contrast, about one in five (21%) think there is a lot of disagreement among scientists about whether or not global warming is happening. Very few Americans (3%) say most scientists think global warming is not happening, and 19% report that they don’t know enough to say (refer to data tables, p. 32).

2. Perceived Risks of Global Warming

2.1 About half of Americans say they have personally experienced the effects of global warming.

About half of Americans (49%) agree with the statement “I have personally experienced the effects of global warming,” while half (50%) disagree.

2.2 Many Americans think people in the U.S. are being harmed “right now” by global warming.

About half of Americans (48%) think people in the U.S. are being harmed by global warming “right now.”

2.3 Many Americans think global warming will harm them, but more think others will be harmed.

A majority of Americans understand that global warming will cause harm. Half or more Americans think global warming will cause either “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of harm to future generations of people (71%), plant and animal species (70%), the world’s poor (68%), people in developing countries (68%), people in the United States (63%), people in their community (53%), and their family (51%). Many Americans also think they themselves (46%) will be harmed.

2.4 About one in ten Americans have considered moving to avoid the impacts of global warming.

Climate change is increasingly causing impacts that could lead people to consider relocating. These include rising sea levels1, floods, wildfires, droughts, and extreme heat. We find that 11% of Americans have considered moving to avoid the impacts of global warming, while 81% have not, and 8% are not sure.

3. Worry About Global Warming

3.1 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 28% who say they are “very worried.”

4. Personal and Social Engagement with Global Warming

4.1 Most Americans “rarely” or “never” discuss global warming with family and friends.

A majority of Americans (62%) say they either “rarely” (30%) or “never” (33%) discuss global warming with family and friends (refer to data tables, p. 46), while 38% say they discuss it either “occasionally” (33%) or “often” (5%).

4.2 Fewer than half of Americans perceive social norms for taking action on global warming.

Social science research has shown that two types of social norms can have a powerful influence on people’s behavior: injunctive norms (the belief that friends and family expect you to behave in a given way) and descriptive norms (the belief that friends and family are themselves behaving in that way).1

Just over one-third of Americans (37%) perceive an injunctive norm, saying it is either “extremely” (4%), “very” (8%), or “moderately” (25%) important to their family and friends that they take action to reduce global warming. Similarly, 36% perceive a descriptive norm, saying their family and friends make either “a great deal of effort” (3%), “a lot of effort” (6%), or “a moderate amount of effort” (27%) to reduce global warming.

4.3 Many Americans hear about global warming in the media at least once a month; fewer hear about it on social media or hear people they know talking about it.

Many Americans (47%) say they hear about global warming in the media once a month or more often, while 41% say they hear about global warming in the media several times a year or less often, including 8% who say they never hear about global warming in the media.

In contrast, only 27% of Americans say they hear about global warming on social media once a month or more often, while 56% say they do so several times a year or less often, including 28% who say they never hear about global warming on social media. Similarly, only 20% of Americans say they hear people they know talk about global warming once a month or more often, while 71% say they do so several times a year or less often, including 28% who say they never hear people they know talk about global warming.

4.4 A majority of Americans say the issue of global warming is personally important to them.

About two-thirds of Americans (65%) say the issue of global warming is either “extremely” (14%), “very” (22%), or “somewhat” (29%) important to them personally (refer to data tables, p. 52). About one-third (35%) say global warming is either “not too” (18%) or “not at all” (17%) personally important.

4.5 About three in ten Americans say they have engaged in consumer activism on global warming.

About three in ten Americans (31%) say that at least “once” over the past 12 months, they have rewarded companies that are taking steps to reduce global warming by buying their products. About one-quarter (26%) say that at least “once” over the past 12 months, they have punished companies that are opposing steps to reduce global warming by not buying their products.

5. Impacts of Global Warming

5.1 Two-thirds of Americans think global warming is affecting weather in the United States.

About two-thirds of Americans (66%) think global warming is affecting weather in the United States, including a majority (58%) who think global warming is affecting U.S. weather either “a lot” (35%) or “some” (23%).

As noted above, 35% of Americans think global warming is affecting weather “a lot.”

5.2 Most Americans think global warming is affecting environmental problems in the United States.

Most Americans think global warming is affecting many environmental problems in the United States at least “a little.” Seven in ten or more think global warming is affecting extreme heat (77%), wildfires (74%), droughts (73%), flooding (72%), rising sea levels (71%), and hurricanes (71%). Six in ten or more think global warming is affecting air pollution (68%), water shortages (67%), reduced snowpack (65%), tornados (65%), water pollution (63%), electricity power outages (62%), and agricultural pests and diseases (61%).

5.3 A majority of Americans think extreme weather poses a risk to their community.

A majority of Americans (56%) think extreme weather poses either a “high” (16%) or “moderate” (40%) risk to their community over the next 10 years. Fewer think extreme weather poses either a “low” risk (31%) or “no” risk (6%).

5.4 A majority of Americans are worried about harm from environmental problems in their local area.

As shown in Section 5.2, many Americans think global warming already affects numerous environmental problems in the United States. This section details how worried Americans are that each of those environmental problems will harm their local area in the future. Majorities of Americans are at least “a little worried” their local area might be harmed by air pollution (75%), electricity power outages (74%), water pollution (74%), droughts (70%), extreme heat (69%), agricultural pests and diseases (66%), flooding (61%), water shortages (61%), tornados (57%), and wildfires (55%). Many Americans are also worried their local area might be harmed by reduced snowpack (43%), hurricanes (42%), and rising sea levels (42%).

Appendix I: Data Tables

Data Tables can be found beginning on p. 25 of the PDF version of the report:

 

Appendix II: Survey Method

The data in this report are based on a nationally representative survey of 1,01 American adults, aged 18 and older. The survey was conducted December 11 – 22, 2024. All questionnaires were self-administered by respondents in a web-based environment. The median completion time for the survey was 22 minutes.

The sample was drawn from the Ipsos KnowledgePanel®, an online panel of members drawn using probability sampling methods.
Prospective members are recruited using a combination of random digit dial and address-based sampling techniques that cover virtually all (non-institutional) resident phone numbers and addresses in the United States. Those contacted who would choose to join the panel but do not have access to the Internet are loaned computers and provided Internet access so they may participate.

The sample therefore includes a representative cross-section of American adults – irrespective of whether they have Internet access, use only a cell phone, etc. Key demographic variables were weighted, post survey, to match US Census Bureau norms.

From November 2008 to December 2018, no KnowledgePanel® member participated in more than one Climate Change in the American
Mind (CCAM) survey. Beginning with the April 2019 survey, panel members who have participated in CCAM surveys in the past, excluding the most recent two surveys, may be randomly selected for participation. In the current survey, 267 respondents participated in a previous CCAM survey.

The survey instrument was designed by Anthony Leiserowitz, Seth Rosenthal, Jennifer Carman, Marija Verner, Matthew Goldberg, and Jennifer Marlon of Yale University, and Edward Maibach, John Kotcher, Teresa Myers, Joshua Ettinger, Julia Fine, and Kathryn Thier of George Mason University. The figures and tables were constructed by Emily Goddard of Yale University.

Sample details and margins of error

All samples are subject to some degree of sampling error – that is, statistical results obtained from a sample can be expected to differ somewhat from results that would be obtained if every member of the target population were interviewed. Average margins of error for each wave of CCAM, at the 95% confidence level, are plus or minus 3 percentage points except where noted.

• December 2024: Fielded December 11 – 22 (n = 1,013)
• April 2024: Fielded April 25 – May 4 (n = 1,031)
• October 2023: Fielded October 20 – 26 (n = 1,033)
• April 2023: Fielded April 18 – May 1 (n = 1,011)
• December 2022: Fielded December 2 – 12 (n = 1,085)
• April 2022: Fielded April 13 – May 2 (n = 1,018)
• September 2021: Fielded September 10 – 20 (n = 1,006)
• March 2021: Fielded March 18 – 29 (n = 1,037)
• December 2020: Fielded December 3 – 16 (n = 1,036)
• April 2020: Fielded April 7 – 17 (n = 1,029)
• November 2019: Fielded November 8 – 20 (n = 1,303)
• April 2019: Fielded March 29 – April 8 (n = 1,291)
• December 2018: Fielded November 28 – December 11 (n = 1,114)
• March 2018: Fielded March 7 – 24 (n = 1,278)
• October 2017: Fielded October 20 – November 1 (n = 1,304)
• May 2017: Fielded May 18 – June 6 (n = 1,266)
• November 2016: Fielded November 18 – December 1 (n = 1,226)
• March 2016: Fielded March 18 – 31 (n = 1,204)
• October 2015: Fielded September 30 – October 19 (n = 1,330)
• March 2015: Fielded February 27 – March 10 (n = 1,263)
• October 2014: Fielded October 17 – 28 (n = 1,275)
• April 2014: Fielded April 15 – 22 (n = 1,013)
• November 2013: Fielded November 23 – December 9 (n = 830)
• April 2013: Fielded April 10 – 15 (n = 1,045)
• September 2012: Fielded August 31 – September 12 (n = 1,061)
• March 2012: Fielded March 12 – 30 (n = 1,008)
• November 2011: Fielded October 20 – November 16 (n = 1,000)
• May 2011: Fielded April 23 – May 12 (n = 1,010)
• June 2010: Fielded May 14 – June 1 (n = 1,024)
• January 2010: Fielded December 24, 2009 – January 3, 2010 (n = 1,001).
• November 2008: Fielded October 7 – November 12 (n = 2,164).
  • Data were collected over two periods: from October 7 – October 20 and from October 24 – November 12. Margin of error plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Rounding error and tabulation
In data tables, bases specified are unweighted, while percentages are weighted to match national population parameters.

For tabulation purposes, percentage points are rounded to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given figure or table may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. Summed response categories (e.g., “strongly agree” + “somewhat agree”) are rounded after sums are calculated. For example, in some cases, the sum of 25% + 25% might be reported as 51% (e.g., 25.3% + 25.3% = 50.6%, which after rounding would be reported as 25% + 25% = 51%).

Appendix III: Sample Demographics

Sample demographics can be found on p. 86 of the PDF version of the report: