Politics & Global Warming, April 2022

Report Summary

Drawing on a nationally representative survey (n = 1,018; including 908 registered voters whose data are included in this report), these findings describe how Democratic, Independent, and Republican registered voters view climate and energy policies.

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 (climatecommunication.yale.edu) and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication (climatechangecommunication.org), Interview dates: April 13 – May 2, 2022. Average margin of error +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

For all media and other inquiries, please email:

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication: Lisa Fernandez ([email protected]), Jon Ozaksut ([email protected]), and Eric Fine ([email protected])

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

Executive Summary

Drawing on a representative sample of the U.S. adult population (n = 1,018; including the 908 registered voters whose data are included in this report), these findings describe how registered voters view a variety of domestic climate and energy policies. The survey was fielded from April 13 – May 2, 2022.

It is important to note that this survey was conducted before recent precedent-changing Supreme Court rulings (including those limiting the EPA’s authority to set greenhouse gas emission standards for existing power plants, overturning the right to abortion, and overturning a New York state law that regulated concealed carry of firearms), before multiple deadly mass shootings around the U.S., before the nationally televised Congressional hearings on the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and during a period of high inflation. Americans’ voting issue priorities may have changed in response to these events.

This executive summary presents the results for all registered voters, while the main text of the report also breaks the results down by political party and ideology.

Global Warming as a Voting Issue

• About four in ten registered voters (39%) say a candidate’s position on global warming will be “very important” when they decide who they will vote for in the 2022 congressional elections.
• Of 29 issues we asked about, registered voters indicated that global warming is the 24^th most highly ranked voting issue (based on the percentage saying it is “very important”).
• When then asked to choose their most important voting issue, four percent of registered voters chose global warming, making it the ^#10 highest ranked most important issue.
• A majority of registered voters (58%) would prefer to vote for a candidate who supports action on global warming, while only 17% would prefer to vote for a candidate who opposes action.

Global Warming and Clean Energy as Government Priorities

• 50% of registered voters say global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress.
• 61% of registered voters say developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress.

Support for Policies to Reduce the Pollution that Causes Global Warming

Majorities of registered voters support a range of policies to reduce carbon pollution and promote clean energy. These include:

• 87% support providing tax incentives or rebates to homeowners, landlords, and businesses to make existing buildings more energy efficient.
• 79% support funding more research into renewable energy sources.
• 77% support providing tax rebates to people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels.
• 77% support providing federal funding to make residential buildings in low-income communities more energy efficient.
• 77% support providing tax incentives or rebates to homeowners, landlords, and businesses to purchase appliances that can be powered without burning fossil fuels.
• 74% support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant.
• 69% support transitioning the U.S. economy (including electric utilities, transportation, buildings, and industry) from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050.
• 69% support increasing federal funding to low-income communities and communities of color who are disproportionately harmed by air and water pollution.
• 66% support requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a tax on the carbon pollution they produce, and using that revenue to reduce other taxes (such as the federal income tax) by an equal amount (i.e., a revenue-neutral carbon tax).
• 63% support requiring electric utilities to produce 100% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2035.

Energy Production

• 81% support generating renewable energy on public land in the U.S.
• 58% support expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast.
• 55% support drilling for and mining fossil fuels on public land in the U.S.

Conservation and Restoration Policies

• 86% support providing funding to help farmers improve practices to protect and restore the soil so it absorbs and stores more carbon.
• 86% support re-establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps.
• 80% support creating a jobs program to hire unemployed oil and gas workers to close down abandoned gas wells.
• 80% support creating a jobs program to hire unemployed coal workers to close down old coal mines.

Declaring Climate Change a National Emergency

• 58% support a U.S. president declaring global warming a national emergency if Congress does not act.

Banning TV Ads by Fossil Fuel Companies

• 42% support a ban on TV ads by fossil fuel companies, similar to the ban on advertising cigarettes on TV that was established in 1971.

Energy Production as an Economic Issue

• 52% say that policies to promote clean energy will improve economic growth and create jobs, while 30% say these policies will reduce growth and cost jobs.
• 57% say that increasing production of clean energy in the U.S. will produce more new jobs than will increasing fossil fuel production.

Who Should Act?

• 68% say corporations and industry should do more to address global warming.
• About half or more also say the following should do more to address global warming: citizens (61%), the Republican Party (58%), the U.S. Congress (57%), their local government officials (55%), their governor (53%), the Democratic Party (53%), President Biden (51%), they themselves (49%), and the media (49%).

State and Local Government Action on Global Warming

• 48% say their local government should prioritize both climate change mitigation and adaptation about equally, with an additional 23% saying the main priority should be mitigation, and 12% saying it should be adaptation.
• Majorities support climate-friendly policies for their local community, including increasing the availability of public transportation in their county (83%), providing funding to help homeowners make energy-efficient improvements to their homes (82%), and constructing bike paths and installing bike lanes on city streets (77%).
• Half or more say their state and local governments should give a “high priority” to protecting public water supplies (60%), people’s health (54%), and agriculture (51%).

Political Actions to Limit Global Warming

• 53% say they would sign a petition about global warming, although only 19% say they have done so in the past year.
• Fewer say they would take other actions, including 31% who would donate money to an organization working on global warming (compared with 13% who say they have actually done so in the past year), 31% who would volunteer their time to an organization working on global warming (compared with 8% who say they have done so in the past year), and 29% who would contact government officials about global warming (compared with 9% who say they have done so in the past year).
• 28% say they would support an organization engaging in non-violent civil disobedience against corporate or government activities that make global warming worse, and 17% say they would personally engage in it.
• 1% say they are currently participating in a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming, although 9% say they would “definitely” join such a campaign and 18% say they would “probably” join one.

Trust, Blame, and Grievance

• About seven in ten registered voters trust NASA (74%), family & friends (74%), climate scientists (71%), and their primary care doctor (69%) as sources of information about global warming.
• Registered voters most blame global warming on developing countries (68%), fossil fuel companies (66%), industrialized countries (65%), fossil fuel CEOs (63%), and corporate lobbyists (62%).
• Few registered voters think the U.S. government is responding well to the issue of global warming (14%), that people like them have a fair say in how the government responds to the issue (16%), or that people like them are respected in the national conversation about global warming (11%).
• 43% say people like them will be unfairly harmed if the U.S. government does not take action to reduce global warming, while 26% say they will be unfairly harmed if the U.S. government does take action.

Reading Notes

• This report includes only registered voters.
• References to Republicans and Democrats throughout include respondents who initially identify as either a Republican or Democrat, as well as those who do not initially identify as a Republican or Democrat but who say they “are closer to” one of those parties (i.e., “leaners”) in a follow-up question. The category “Independents” does not include any of these “leaners.”
• For tabulation purposes, percentage points are rounded to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given chart may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. Summed response categories (e.g., “strongly support” + “somewhat support”) 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, is 51%).
• Weighted percentages among registered voters of each of the groups discussed in this report:
  • Democrats (total) including leaners: 43%
    • Liberal Democrats: 24%
    • Moderate/Conservative Democrats: 19%
      • (Moderate Democrats: 16%; Conservative Democrats: 3%)
  • Independents excluding leaners: 12%
  • Republicans (total) including leaners: 40%
    • Liberal/Moderate Republicans: 12%
      • (Liberal Republicans: 1%; Moderate Republicans: 11%)
    • Conservative Republicans: 27%
  • No party/Not interested in politics/No response: 5% (included in the results reported for “All Registered Voters” only)
• The full text of all survey items can be found in the data tables.

1. Global Warming as a Voting Issue

1.1. Most Democrats, but few Republicans, say global warming will be a very important issue when deciding who they will vote for in the 2022 congressional elections.

Global warming is the 24^th most highly ranked issue registered voters say will be “very important” to their vote in the 2022 congressional elections¹, with 39% saying it will be very important (see data tables in the PDF version of the report, pp. 34–43). This is similar to the percentage who said global warming would be very important to their vote in the 2020 presidential election (43%)² and the 2018 congressional election (38%).³

Among Democrats, about six in ten (63%) say global warming will be a very important issue in determining their vote for Congress. This includes 74% of liberal Democrats and 50% of moderate/conservative Democrats. Global warming is the 3^rd most important voting issue among liberal Democrats and environmental protection is 1^st. Among moderate/conservative Democrats, global warming ranks 16^th, with environmental protection 7^th. By contrast, global warming is near or at the bottom of congressional voting priorities among Republicans.

After each respondent rated how important each of the 30 issues would be to their vote in the 2022 congressional elections, they were shown the list of issues they had rated highest and then asked, “Which one of these issues is the most important issue to you when voting for a candidate?”

Using this method, global warming is the ^#10 ranked voting issue among all registered voters, with 4% of registered voters saying it is their most important issue (see data tables in the PDF version of this report, p. 44). For context, “the economy” is the ^#1 most important issue for registered voters, with 14% saying it is the most important issue.

Among Democrats, global warming is the ^#7 most important voting issue (6% of Democrats; see data tables in the PDF version of the report, p. 44), with maintaining free and fair elections as the ^#1 most important (11% of Democrats). Global warming is the ^#4 most important issue among liberal Democrats (8% of liberal Democrats) and ^#12 among moderate/conservative Democrats (3% of moderate/conservative Democrats). Global warming was near the bottom of the most important issue list for Republicans.

1.2. Most registered voters would prefer to vote for a candidate who supports action on global warming.

If given a choice, a majority of registered voters (58%) would prefer to vote for a candidate for public office who supports action on global warming, while only 17% would prefer to vote for a candidate who opposes action, and 25% say it doesn’t matter either way.

Nearly all liberal Democrats (95%), a large majority of moderate/conservative Democrats (76%), and about half of Independents (55%; see data tables in the PDF version of the report, p. 45) would prefer to vote for a candidate who supports action on global warming, as would 44% of liberal/moderate Republicans. In contrast, only 23% of conservative Republicans would prefer to vote for a candidate who supports action on global warming, while 46% of conservative Republicans would prefer to vote for a candidate who opposes action.

¹It is important to note that this survey was conducted before recent precedent-changing Supreme Court rulings (including those limiting the EPA’s authority to set greenhouse gas emission standards for existing power plants, overturning the right to abortion, and overturning a New York state law that regulated concealed carry of firearms), before multiple deadly mass shootings around the U.S., before the nationally televised Congressional hearings on the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and during a period of high inflation. Americans’ voting issue priorities may have changed in response to these events.

²Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Ballew, M., Bergquist, P., Gustafson, A., Goldberg, M., & Wang, X. (2020). Politics & Global Warming, April 2020. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

³Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Rosenthal, S., Cutler, M., & Kotcher, J. (2018). Politics & Global Warming, March, 2018. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

2. Global Warming and Clean Energy as Government Priorities

2.1. Most Democrats think global warming should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress.

Half of registered voters (50%) think global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress (see data tables). This includes a large majority of liberal Democrats (88%), about two in three moderate/conservative Democrats (68%), about half of Independents (49%; see data tables in the PDF version of the report, p. 45), and 38% of liberal/moderate Republicans. Relatively few conservative Republicans (12%) think so.

2.2. Most registered voters think developing sources of clean energy should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress.

About six in ten registered voters (61%) think developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress (see data tables in the PDF version of the report, p. 45). This includes large majorities of liberal Democrats (91%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (77%), and most Independents (59%, see data tables) and liberal/moderate Republicans (55%), but only about one in four conservative Republicans (24%).

3. Support for Policies to Reduce the Pollution that Causes Global Warming

3.1. Most registered voters, including many Republicans, support climate-friendly energy policies.

Registered voters across the political spectrum support many energy policies designed to reduce carbon pollution and fossil fuel dependence and promote clean energy, including:

• Providing tax incentives or rebates to homeowners, landlords, and businesses to make existing buildings more energy efficient: 87% of registered voters; 99% of liberal Democrats and 93% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 78% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 73% of conservative Republicans.
• Funding more research into renewable energy sources: 79% of registered voters; 97% of liberal Democrats, 93% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 77% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 52% of conservative Republicans.
• Providing tax rebates to people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels: 77% of registered voters; 98% of liberal Democrats, 92% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 68% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 51% of conservative Republicans.
• Providing federal funding to make residential buildings in low-income communities more energy efficient: 77% of registered voters; 97% of liberal Democrats, 92% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 68% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 52% of conservative Republicans.
• Providing tax incentives or rebates to homeowners, landlords, and businesses to purchase appliances that can be powered without burning fossil fuels (such as electric water heaters, electric heat pumps, and electric induction cooktops): 77% of registered voters; 98% of liberal Democrats, 92% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 70% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 48% of conservative Republicans.
• Regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant: 74% of registered voters; 97% of liberal Democrats, 88% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 74% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 43% of conservative Republicans.
• Transitioning the U.S. economy (including electric utilities, transportation, buildings, and industry) from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050: 69% of registered voters; 98% of liberal Democrats, 86% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 63% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 32% of conservative Republicans.
• Increasing federal funding to low-income communities and communities of color who are disproportionately harmed by air and water pollution: 69% of registered voters; 98% of liberal Democrats, 85% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 58% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 32% of conservative Republicans.
• Requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a tax on the carbon pollution they produce, and using that revenue to reduce other taxes (such as the federal income tax) by an equal amount [i.e., a revenue-neutral carbon tax]: 66% of registered voters; 92% of liberal Democrats, 85% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 61% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 30% of conservative Republicans.
• Requiring electric utilities to produce 100% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2035: 63% of registered voters; 94% of liberal Democrats, 83% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 55% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 22% of conservative Republicans.

3.2. A large majority of registered voters support renewable energy generation on public land.

A large majority of registered voters (81%) support generating renewable energy (solar and wind) on public land in the United States. This includes nearly all liberal Democrats (98%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (90%) as well as a large majority of liberal/moderate Republicans (77%) and a majority of conservative Republicans (59%).

Smaller majorities of registered voters support fossil-fuel production in the United States, including:

• Expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast: 58% of registered voters; 84% of conservative Republicans, 67% of liberal/moderate Republicans, 56% of moderate/conservative Democrats, and 31% of liberal Democrats.
• Drilling for and mining fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) on public land in the U.S.: 55% of registered voters; 84% of conservative Republicans, 70% of liberal/moderate Republicans, 46% of moderate/conservative Democrats, and 27% of liberal Democrats.

3.3. Most registered voters support conservation and restoration policies.

Registered voters across the political spectrum support a range of conservation and restoration policies, including:

• Providing federal funding to help farmers improve practices to protect and restore the soil so it absorbs more carbon: 86% of registered voters; 98% of liberal Democrats, 93% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 86% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 70% of conservative Republicans.
• Re-establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps, which would employ workers to protect natural ecosystems, plant trees in rural and urban areas, and restore the soil on farmlands: 86% of registered voters; 97% of liberal Democrats, 91% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 86% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 69% of conservative Republicans.
• Creating a jobs program that would hire unemployed oil and gas workers to safely close down thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells, which are a source of water and methane pollution: 80% of registered voters; 97% of liberal Democrats, 91% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 79% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 56% of conservative Republicans.
• Creating a jobs program that would hire unemployed coal workers to safely close down old coal mines and restore the natural landscape: 80% of registered voters; 99% of liberal Democrats, 89% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 78% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 56% of conservative Republicans.

3.4. A majority of registered voters would support a president declaring a national emergency to act on global warming.

More than half of registered voters (58%) would “strongly” or “somewhat” support a U.S. president declaring global warming a national emergency to act on it if Congress does not take action (see data tables in the PDF version of the report, p. 51). This has the support of nearly all liberal Democrats (95%, with 65% saying they “strongly support” it; see data tables), a large majority of moderate/conservative Democrats (77%), about half of Independents (55%; see data tables in the PDF version of the report, p. 51), and 46% of liberal/moderate Republicans. By contrast, few conservative Republicans (16%) would support it, while 84% of conservative Republicans would oppose it (including 64% who would “strongly oppose” it, see data tables, p. 51).

3.5. Four in ten registered voters would support a ban on TV ads by fossil fuel companies.

Since 1971, there has been a ban in the United States on advertising cigarettes on TV. With this as context, we asked how much respondents support or oppose a similar ban on TV ads by fossil fuel companies. About four in ten registered voters (42%) would support such a ban. This includes majorities of liberal Democrats (79%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (56%), but fewer Independents (36%), liberal/moderate Republicans (29%), and conservative Republicans (10%).

4. Energy Production as an Economic Issue

4.1. About half of registered voters think policies that promote clean energy will improve economic growth and create jobs.

About half of registered voters (52%) think policies that promote clean energy will improve economic growth and create jobs, while three in ten (30%) think it will have the opposite effect, reducing growth and costing jobs, and 17% think it will have no impact either way.¹

Opinion is sharply divided along political lines; large majorities of liberal Democrats (87%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (65%) think clean energy policies will have a positive impact on the economy and jobs, while liberal/moderate Republicans are about evenly split (41% think such policies will have a positive impact and 39% think they will have a negative impact), and two in three conservative Republicans (67%) think the policies will have a negative impact.

4.2. Most registered voters think the clean energy industry will create more good jobs than the fossil fuel industry.

More than half of registered voters (57%) think increasing production of clean energy in the U.S. will produce more new jobs than will increasing fossil fuel production, while 42% think the opposite (that increasing fossil fuel production will create more jobs than increasing clean energy production).²

Large majorities of liberal Democrats (91%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (72%) think clean energy production will produce more good jobs. In contrast, 55% of liberal/moderate Republicans and a large majority of conservative Republicans (79%) think increasing fossil fuel production will create more good U.S. jobs.

¹The full text of the survey item and response categories are: Please indicate which one of these statements comes closest to your own views – even if it is not exactly right: Overall, government policies intended to transition away from fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and toward clean energy (solar, wind) will… (a) Improve economic growth and provide new jobs; (b) Have no impact on economic growth or jobs; (c) Reduce economic growth and cost jobs.

²The full text of the survey item and response categories are: Generally speaking, which do you think will produce more good jobs in the U.S.? (a) Increasing production of clean energy such as wind and solar; (b) Increasing production of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.

5. Who is Responsible for Action on Global Warming?

5.1. Two in three registered voters want corporations and industry to do more to address global warming. Most also want more action from citizens and government.

A majority of registered voters say corporations and industry should do “much more” or “more” to address global warming (68% of registered voters; including 94% of liberal Democrats, 77% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 60% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 38% of conservative Republicans).

Half or more registered voters, including large majorities of both liberal and moderate/conservative Democrats, say citizens themselves (61%), the Republican Party (58%), the U.S. Congress (57%), their local government officials (55%), their governor (53%), the Democratic Party (53%), and President Biden (51%) should do more.

Forty-six percent of liberal/moderate Republicans say their party (the Republican Party) should do more to address global warming, while only 20% of conservative Republicans say so. Large majorities of both liberal Democrats (85%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (68%) say their party (the Democratic Party) should do more.

6. State and Local Government Action on Global Warming

6.1. About half of registered voters say it is equally important for local governments to respond to global warming by reducing its causes and preparing for its impacts.

About half of registered voters (48%) say their local government should prioritize both climate change mitigation (reducing the causes of global warming) and adaptation (preparing for the impacts of global warming) about equally, with an additional 23% saying the main priority should be mitigation, and 12% saying it should be adaptation. Seventeen percent of registered voters (including 39% of conservative Republicans) say their local government should not prioritize either of these approaches.

6.2. Large majorities of registered voters support climate-friendly policies for their local community.

Across the political spectrum, large majorities of registered voters support climate-friendly policies for their local community, including increasing the availability of public transportation in their county (83%), providing funding to help homeowners make energy-efficient improvements to their homes (82%), and constructing bike paths and installing bike lanes (77%).

6.3. Majorities of registered voters prioritize protecting public water supplies, people’s health, and agriculture from the effects of global warming.

Half or more registered voters think their state and local governments should place a “high priority” on protecting public water supplies (60%), people’s health (54%), and agriculture (51%) from the effects of global warming over the next ten years.

More than four in ten think a high priority should be placed on protecting forests (46%) and the electricity system (46%).

7. Political Actions to Limit Global Warming

7.1. Many registered voters are willing to take political actions to reduce global warming.

More than half of registered voters (53%) say they would sign a petition about global warming, including majorities of liberal Democrats (87%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (66%), but fewer liberal/moderate Republicans (41%) and conservative Republicans (23%). About three in ten say they would donate money (31%) or volunteer their time (31%) to an organization working on global warming. Fewer would contact government officials about global warming (29%) or meet with an elected official or their staff (27%).

More than one in four registered voters (28%) would support an organization engaging in non-violent civil disobedience against corporate or government activities that make global warming worse, and 17% (including 34% of liberal Democrats) would personally engage in such non-violent civil disobedience.

7.2. Relatively few registered voters have engaged in political actions to reduce global warming in the past year.

Relatively few registered voters have engaged in political actions to reduce global warming over the past 12 months, including 19% who say they have signed a petition about global warming at least “once,” and 13% who say they have donated money to an organization working on global warming at least “once.” Fewer (8%) have volunteered their time to an organization working on global warming at least “once” in the past year.

7.3. Relatively few registered voters have urged elected officials to reduce global warming.

Nine percent of registered voters have contacted government officials to urge them to take action to reduce global warming at least “once” over the past 12 months. This includes 21% of liberal Democrats, 12% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 6% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 1% of conservative Republicans.

7.4. About three in ten registered voters are participating, or willing to participate, in a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming – although current participation is low.

A total of about three in ten registered voters (29%) say they are “probably” (18%) or “definitely” (9%) willing to join a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming or are already currently participating in such a campaign (1%; see data tables). This includes 59% of liberal Democrats (3% “currently,” 21% “definitely,” and 36% “probably”), 40% of moderate/conservative Democrats (1% “currently,” 10% “definitely,” and 28% “probably”), and 17% of liberal/moderate Republicans (2% “currently,” 2% “definitely,” and 13% “probably”), but only 4% of conservative Republicans (less than 1% “currently or “definitely,” and 3% “probably”).

8. Trust, Blame, and Grievance

8.1. Registered voters trust NASA, family & friends, and climate scientists most as sources of information about global warming

Seven in ten or more registered voters “strongly” or “somewhat” trust NASA (74%), family & friends (74%), and climate scientists (71%) as sources of information about global warming.

Six in ten or more registered voters trust their primary care doctor (69%), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; 65%), TV weather reporters (64%), environmental organizations (63%), teachers (61%), and the American Medical Association (61%) as sources of information.

At the bottom of the list, only 30% of registered voters trust the Fox News Channel as a source of information about global warming, and about one in four (24%) trust oil and gas companies.¹

Of the people and institutions we included, liberal Democrats trust climate scientists the most (98%), followed by environmental organizations (96%) and the EPA (95%). Moderate/conservative Democrats trust climate scientists the most (85%), followed by the EPA (84%) and environmental organizations (80%). Liberal/moderate Republicans trust NASA the most (80%), followed by family & friends (76%) and their primary care doctor (69%). And conservative Republicans trust family & friends the most (67%), followed by their primary care doctor (57%) and NASA (53%).

8.2. Registered voters blame developing countries and fossil fuel companies the most for global warming.

Six in ten or more registered voters blame developing countries (68% blame “a great deal” or “a moderate amount”), fossil fuel companies (66%), industrialized countries (65%), CEOs of fossil fuel companies (63%), and corporate lobbyists (62%) for global warming. Additionally, about half of registered voters blame Republican politicians (51%), citizens themselves (49%), and Democratic politicians (48%).

Liberal and moderate/conservative Democrats are most likely to blame fossil fuel companies, (92% of liberal Democrats and 76% of moderate/conservative Democrats), industrialized countries (91%, 72%), and CEOs of fossil fuel companies (90%, 74%) for global warming. Liberal/moderate Republicans are most likely to blame developing countries (73%) as well as fossil fuel companies (72%) and industrialized countries (70%). A majority of conservative Republicans (59%) blame developing countries.

8.3. A large majority of registered voters think the U.S. government is not responding well to global warming.

Across the political spectrum, there appears to be widespread dissatisfaction among registered voters with how the U.S. government is responding to global warming: few “strongly” or “somewhat” agree that the U.S. government is responding well to the issue of global warming (14%), that people like them have a fair say in how the U.S. government responds to the issue (16%), or that people like them are respected in the national conversation about global warming (11%). Most feel that “some people have too much influence on how the U.S. government responds to global warming” (71%).

There is less agreement across the political spectrum, however, about who will be unfairly harmed if the U.S. government does, or does not, take action to reduce global warming. Liberal Democrats (77%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (58%) are much more likely than liberal/moderate Republicans (33%) and conservative Republicans (12%) to agree that people like them will be unfairly harmed if the U.S. government does not take action to reduce global warming, while conservative Republicans (50%) are more likely than the other groups to agree that people like them will be unfairly harmed if the U.S. government does take action to reduce global warming.

¹For “leaders in your religious faith,” respondents were offered “Does not apply to me” as additional response category. Forty-two percent of registered voters chose that response.

Appendix I: Data Tables

Data Tables can be found beginning on p. 34 of the PDF version of the report:

politics-global-warming-april-2022b

Appendix II: Survey Method

The data in this report are based on a nationally representative survey of 1,018 American adults, aged 18 and older. Results are reported for the subset of 908 registered voters who participated in the survey. The survey was conducted April 13 – May 2, 2022. All questionnaires were self-administered by respondents in a web-based environment. The median completion time for the survey was 27 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 given 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, 217 respondents, 205 of whom are registered voters included in this report, participated in a previous CCAM survey.

The survey instrument was designed by Anthony Leiserowitz, Seth Rosenthal, Jennifer Carman, Matthew Goldberg, Karine Lacroix, and Jennifer Marlon of Yale University, and Edward Maibach, John Kotcher, Teresa Myers, and Eryn Campbell of George Mason University. All graphics (charts and tables) were designed and created by Liz Neyens and Jennifer Marlon of Yale University.

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 was interviewed. Average margins of error, at the 95% confidence level, are as follows:

• All Registered Voters (n = 908): Plus or minus 3 percentage points.
• Democrats (total; n = 381): Plus or minus 5 percentage points.
• Liberal Democrats (n = 201): Plus or minus 7 percentage points.
• Moderate/conservative Democrats (n = 178): Plus or minus 7 percentage points.
• Independents (n = 99): Plus or minus 10 percentage points.
• Republicans (total; n = 386): Plus or minus 5 percentage points.
• Liberal/moderate Republicans (n = 116): Plus or minus 9 percentage points.
• Conservative Republicans (n = 266): Plus or minus 6 points.

Rounding error and tabulation

In data tables, bases specified are unweighted, but 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 chart may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. Summed response categories (e.g., “strongly support” + “somewhat support”) 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: Demographics

Sample demographics can be found on pp. 79 – 80 of the PDF version of the report:

politics-global-warming-april-2022b