Climate change in the American mind: April, 2014

The report finds that while a majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring and are increasingly certain of it, there is a significant gap between public perception and scientific consensus regarding human causality. Only 15% of Americans are 'very worried' about global warming, with many viewing it as a distant threat that will not personally harm them, their families, or their communities. Additionally, only one in three Americans occasionally discusses the topic with friends and family, often due to perceived disagreements.

• A majority of Americans believe global warming is happening, and their certainty has increased over a three-year period. As of April 2014, 64% of Americans believe it is occurring, with 62% of those believers stating they are either 'extremely' (30%) or 'very' (32%) sure. This represents an increase from May 2011, when only 54% of believers were as sure. Conversely, those who believe global warming is not happening became less certain, dropping from 52% in May 2011 to 41% in April 2014.
• There is a disconnect between public perception and scientific consensus regarding the cause of global warming. While 97% of climate scientists conclude that human-caused global warming is happening, only 44% of Americans believe global warming is both happening and human caused. Furthermore, only 12% of Americans are aware that 90% or more of scientists have reached this conclusion, while 14% believe fewer than half of scientists agree.
• Many Americans perceive global warming as a distant threat rather than an immediate personal risk. Only 15% of Americans report being 'very worried' about global warming, and only one in three believe people in the U.S. are being harmed 'right now'. While 67% believe future generations will be harmed a great deal or a moderate amount, only 38% believe they will be personally harmed, 43% believe their family will be harmed, and 45% believe people in their community will be harmed.
• Public optimism regarding the ability to reduce global warming is low. Only 6% of Americans believe humans can and will successfully reduce global warming. In contrast, 25% believe it will not be reduced because people are unwilling to change their behavior, and 16% believe it cannot be reduced even if it is happening. Another 42% believe reduction is possible but are unsure if necessary actions will be taken.
• Social discussion of global warming is infrequent, largely driven by perceived lack of agreement among peers. Only one in three Americans occasionally discusses the topic with family and friends. Among those who feel none of their friends share their views, 77% never discuss it, compared to 25% of those who feel all their friends share their views.

APA

A., L., E., M., C., R.-R., G., F., & S., R. (2014). Climate change in the American mind: April, 2014. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/the-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-series-spring-2014/

Chicago

A., Leiserowitz,, Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., and Rosenthal, S. Climate change in the American mind: April, 2014. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2014. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/the-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-series-spring-2014/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=A. |first1=Leiserowitz, |last2=E. |first2=Maibach, |last3=C. |first3=Roser-Renouf, |last4=G. |first4=Feinberg, |last5=S. |first5=Rosenthal, |title=Climate change in the American mind: April, 2014 |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=9 April 2014 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/the-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-series-spring-2014/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{a2014climate, author = {A., Leiserowitz, and E., Maibach, and C., Roser-Renouf, and G., Feinberg, and S., Rosenthal,}, title = {{Climate change in the American mind: April, 2014}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/the-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-series-spring-2014/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }