PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT CONDUCT CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH

The report finds that while the public generally views federal agencies as credible sources of scientific research, there is significant uncertainty regarding which agencies specifically conduct climate change research. NOAA is perceived as the most active and credible agency for climate change research, while NASA is seen as the most active and credible for general scientific research. The public's primary questions for experts focus on the human causes of climate change and the potential for mitigation.

• A significant portion of the American public is unaware of the extent to which federal agencies conduct climate science research, with awareness being lower for climate-specific research than for general scientific research. For example, 41% of respondents did not know how much climate change research NASA conducts, compared to 25% who were unsure about its general scientific research.
• Among the 11 agencies assessed, NOAA is viewed as the agency conducting the most climate change research, followed by the EPA, NASA, and the NSF. Conversely, the DOD, CDC, and the Smithsonian are perceived as conducting the least amount of climate change research.
• Federal agencies are generally perceived as credible, though ratings vary by agency and research type. NASA is considered the most credible for general scientific research, while NOAA is rated highest for climate change research. The DOE and EPA are rated lowest for general science, and the DOE and DOD are rated lowest for climate change research, though all remain above the neutral mid-point of the credibility scale.
• The most common questions the public wants to ask climate change experts concern the evidence for human-caused climate change, the nature of agency research, the possibility of reducing climate change, and whether it is actually occurring. The most frequent top question is "How do you know that climate change is caused mostly by human activities, not natural changes in the environment?", cited by 39% of respondents.
• When asked where they would seek answers to their top climate questions, NOAA is frequently the most preferred source across various topics, including whether climate change is happening and how to reduce it. For the question "Is there still time to reduce climate change, or is it too late?", 95% of people who had that question as a top priority would seek an answer from NOAA.
• Regarding the format of information, half of the survey participants prefer to receive answers to their climate change questions via written text, such as a news article, while 27% prefer video and 17% prefer interactive graphics.

APA

Myers, T., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Anderson, A., Stenhouse, N., & Leiserowitz, A. (2012). PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT CONDUCT CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2012-Public-Perceptions-of-Federal-Agencies-that-Conduct-Climate-Change-Research.pdf

Chicago

Myers, Teresa, Edward Maibach, Connie Roser-Renouf, Ashley Anderson, Neil Stenhouse, and Anthony Leiserowitz. PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT CONDUCT CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2012. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2012-Public-Perceptions-of-Federal-Agencies-that-Conduct-Climate-Change-Research.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{myers2012public, author = {Myers, Teresa and Maibach, Edward and Roser-Renouf, Connie and Anderson, Ashley and Stenhouse, Neil and Leiserowitz, Anthony}, title = {{PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT CONDUCT CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2012}, month = dec, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2012-Public-Perceptions-of-Federal-Agencies-that-Conduct-Climate-Change-Research.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }