Public Perceptions of the Health Consequences of Global Warming

The report finds that while a majority of Americans believe global warming is bad for health, very few can identify specific health risks or recognize that certain populations are more vulnerable. There is significant public support for increased government action and funding to protect public health from climate change, with primary-care doctors and the CDC being the most trusted sources of information.

• A majority of Americans have given little to no thought to the health impacts of global warming, and most are unable to name specific current health consequences.
• While 63% of Americans believe global warming is bad for the health of people in the U.S., only 33% correctly identify that some groups are more vulnerable to these health problems than others.
• Public perception of current and future health harms is relatively low, though more Americans expect health issues to arise in the next five to 10 years than they believe are currently occurring.
• Americans are largely unaware of the global scale of health consequences; a plurality are unsure of the number of people worldwide affected, and many believe no one suffers health consequences from global warming.
• There is substantial public support for increased efforts by federal agencies, the U.S. Congress, and state governments to protect people from global warming-related health problems.
• Primary-care doctors are the most trusted source of information regarding global warming's health effects, followed by family/friends and the CDC.

APA

Center for Climate Change Communication (2014). Public Perceptions of the Health Consequences of Global Warming. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/October-2014-Public-Perceptions-of-the-Health-Consequences-of-Global-Warming.pdf

Chicago

Center for Climate Change Communication. Public Perceptions of the Health Consequences of Global Warming. 2014. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/October-2014-Public-Perceptions-of-the-Health-Consequences-of-Global-Warming.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for Climate Change Communication |title=Public Perceptions of the Health Consequences of Global Warming |date=October 2014 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/October-2014-Public-Perceptions-of-the-Health-Consequences-of-Global-Warming.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforclimatechangecommunication2014public, author = {{Center for Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Public Perceptions of the Health Consequences of Global Warming}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2014}, month = oct, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/October-2014-Public-Perceptions-of-the-Health-Consequences-of-Global-Warming.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }