PERCEPTIONS OF EXTREME WEATHER AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN VIRGINIA

A March 2013 survey of 2,000 Virginia adults who watch local TV news found that a large majority (85%) believe climate change is happening, though only about half are very or extremely sure. Many residents perceive an increase in extremely hot days and intense storms, often attributing this to climate change. Significant disparities in perception and trust exist across demographic lines, with Democrats, women, and urban residents generally more likely to view climate change as a human-caused problem and a personal risk, while Republicans and older adults are more likely to see weather changes as unrelated to climate change.

• A significant majority of Virginians believe climate change is occurring, though their level of certainty varies. While 85% report that climate change is happening, only 53% are "very" or "extremely" sure of this conviction.
• Many residents perceive an increase in extreme weather in Virginia, specifically extremely hot days (60%) and intense storms (53%). Among those who see these events becoming more frequent, a majority (79%) believe climate change is either the major cause (28%) or one of many causes (51%).
• While there is high general trust in scientists (85%), there is a gap in understanding the scientific consensus. Only 43% of respondents believe that most scientists think climate change is happening, while 34% believe there is significant disagreement among scientists.
• Climate change is viewed as personally relevant by 74% of respondents, and 51% believe they have personally experienced its effects. However, fewer are worried about it (49%) or believe it will harm them personally (44%).
• Political affiliation is a strong predictor of climate change perceptions. Democrats are the most likely to believe climate change is happening (95%) and human-caused (75%), whereas Republicans are the most likely to believe it is not happening (25%) and to view weather changes as unrelated to climate change (23%).
• Demographic differences exist regarding risk perception and trust. Women are more likely than men to be worried about climate change (51% vs 46%) and to believe it will harm them personally (50% vs 38%). Urban residents are more likely than rural residents to be certain that climate change is happening (89% vs 81%) and human-caused (70% vs 63%).

APA

Maibach, E., Bloodhart, B., & Zhao, X. (2013). PERCEPTIONS OF EXTREME WEATHER AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN VIRGINIA. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/July-2013-Perceptions-of-Extreme-Weather-and-Climate-Change-in-Virginia.pdf

Chicago

Maibach, Edward, Brittany Bloodhart, and Xiaoquan Zhao. PERCEPTIONS OF EXTREME WEATHER AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN VIRGINIA. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2013. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/July-2013-Perceptions-of-Extreme-Weather-and-Climate-Change-in-Virginia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maibach |first1=Edward |last2=Bloodhart |first2=Brittany |last3=Zhao |first3=Xiaoquan |title=PERCEPTIONS OF EXTREME WEATHER AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN VIRGINIA |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=July 2013 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/July-2013-Perceptions-of-Extreme-Weather-and-Climate-Change-in-Virginia.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maibach2013perceptions, author = {Maibach, Edward and Bloodhart, Brittany and Zhao, Xiaoquan}, title = {{PERCEPTIONS OF EXTREME WEATHER AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN VIRGINIA}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2013}, month = jul, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/July-2013-Perceptions-of-Extreme-Weather-and-Climate-Change-in-Virginia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }