Climate Change in the American Mind

The report details a survey of 1,001 American adults conducted between December 2009 and January 2010. It tracks shifts in public perception of global warming, including a decline in the percentage of people who believe global warming is happening (from 71% in 2008 to 57% in 2010) and an increase in those who believe it is not happening (from 10% to 20%). The data also explores perceived causes, the perceived level of scientific consensus, personal and global risks, and trust in various information sources.

• Belief that global warming is occurring decreased significantly between 2008 and 2010, falling from 71% to 57%, while the proportion of respondents stating it is not happening doubled from 10% to 20%.
• Among those who believe global warming is happening, 47% attribute it mostly to human activities, while 36% believe it is caused mostly by natural changes in the environment.
• Public perception of scientific consensus shifted; in 2010, 40% of respondents believed there is a lot of disagreement among scientists about whether global warming is happening, up from 33% in 2008.
• Respondents perceive the highest risk of harm from global warming to be for plant and animal species (43% saying 'a great deal') and future generations (42% saying 'a great deal').
• A plurality of respondents (45%) believe that while humans could reduce global warming, it is unclear if the necessary actions will be taken.
• Scientists are the most trusted source of information among the listed entities, with 74% of respondents expressing some level of trust (22% 'strongly trust' and 52% 'somewhat trust').
• There is a notable divide in the perception of immediate harm; 25% of respondents believe people in the United States are being harmed now, while 23% believe they will never be harmed.

APA

Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., & Roser-Renouf, C. (2010). Climate Change in the American Mind. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/January-2010-Americans-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes.pdf

Chicago

Leiserowitz, Anthony, Edward Maibach, and Connie Roser-Renouf. Climate Change in the American Mind. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2010. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/January-2010-Americans-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Leiserowitz |first1=Anthony |last2=Maibach |first2=Edward |last3=Roser-Renouf |first3=Connie |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=2010 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/January-2010-Americans-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{leiserowitz2010climate, author = {Leiserowitz, Anthony and Maibach, Edward and Roser-Renouf, Connie}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2010}, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/January-2010-Americans-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }