This report extends and updates an ongoing program of research analyzing Americans’ interpretations of and responses to climate change. The research segments the American public into six audiences that range along a spectrum of concern and issue engagement from the Alarmed, who are convinced of the reality and danger of climate change and highly supportive of personal and political actions to mitigate the threat, to the Dismissive, who are equally convinced that climate change is not occurring and that no response should be made. The first report identifying these segments – Global Warming’s Six Americas 2009 – profiled the segments in detail. Three subsequent reports released in 2010 and 2011 tracked changes in the sizes of the segments, and described additional characteristics and beliefs of the six groups. This report is the fifth in the series; it contains data collected in March 2012 and in Nov. 2011, and explores the groups’ beliefs about extreme weather, natural disasters, the upcoming presidential election and several other topics. Download the Report Here.
Global Warming’s Six Americas in March 2012 and November 2011
