Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes

The report finds that 70% of Americans believe global warming is happening, with 59% attributing it primarily to human causes. While 64% express worry and many perceive immediate local risks from extreme weather, social engagement remains low, with 66% rarely or never discussing the issue with family and friends. The study also highlights a gap in understanding scientific consensus, as only 21% recognize that over 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming.

• A significant majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring, with those who believe it is happening outnumbering those who do not by a ratio of approximately 5 to 1 (70% vs 13%).
• While 59% of Americans believe global warming is mostly human-caused, 29% attribute it to natural environmental changes.
• There is a notable gap in public understanding of the strength of scientific consensus; only 21% of Americans are aware that more than 90% of climate scientists agree that human-caused global warming is happening.
• Half of Americans report having personally experienced the effects of global warming, and 47% believe people in the United States are being harmed by it currently.
• Americans perceive high risks to various groups, with 72% believing global warming will harm plant and animal species and future generations, and 69% believing it will harm the world's poor.
• A majority of Americans (66%) believe global warming is affecting weather in the U.S., and 56% view extreme weather as a high or moderate risk to their community over the next decade.
• Global warming is associated with significant emotional distress; 64% of Americans are at least somewhat worried, and over 10% report symptoms of anxiety or depression due to global warming in the last two weeks.
• Social engagement with the topic is low, as 66% of Americans rarely or never discuss global warming with family and friends.
• A majority of Americans (62%) feel a personal responsibility to help reduce global warming, and 67% consider the issue personally important.
• Consumer activism is practiced by a minority, with 32% rewarding companies taking steps to reduce global warming and 26% punishing those opposing such steps through their purchasing decisions.
• Regarding personal agency, 63% of Americans disagree that it is too late to act, but 47% believe that the actions of a single individual will not make a difference.
• Americans conceptualize global warming as a multifaceted issue, most commonly identifying it as an environmental (77%) or scientific (68%) issue.

APA

Center for Climate Change Communication (2024). Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2024.pdf

Chicago

Center for Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes. 2024. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes |date=2024 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforclimatechangecommunication2024climate, author = {{Center for Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs \& Attitudes}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2024}, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }