Climate Change in the American Mind

The May 2011 survey of 1,010 American adults indicates that 64% believe global warming is happening, with 47% attributing it primarily to human activities. While 52% of respondents express some level of worry about global warming, perceived personal and community risk remains lower than the perceived risk to future generations (59% seeing a great or moderate deal of harm) and plant and animal species (58% seeing a great or moderate deal of harm). Trust in scientists (76% trust) and government agencies like NOAA (76% trust) and the National Park Service (73% trust) is higher than trust in the mainstream news media (38% trust).

• Among those who believe global warming is occurring, 47% in May 2011 attributed it mostly to human activities, while 35% attributed it to natural changes in the environment.
• Public perception of scientific consensus is divided: 39% of respondents believe most scientists think global warming is happening, while 40% believe there is a lot of disagreement among scientists on the issue.
• A plurality of respondents (41%) believe that while humans could reduce global warming, it is unclear if the necessary actions will be taken.

APA

Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., & Smith, N. (2011). Climate Change in the American Mind. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/May-2011-Americans-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes.pdf

Chicago

Leiserowitz, Anthony, Edward Maibach, Connie Roser-Renouf, and Nicholas Smith. Climate Change in the American Mind. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2011. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/May-2011-Americans-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Leiserowitz |first1=Anthony |last2=Maibach |first2=Edward |last3=Roser-Renouf |first3=Connie |last4=Smith |first4=Nicholas |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=2011 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/May-2011-Americans-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{leiserowitz2011climate, author = {Leiserowitz, Anthony and Maibach, Edward and Roser-Renouf, Connie and Smith, Nicholas}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2011}, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/May-2011-Americans-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }