Americans’ Actions to Limit Global Warming in September 2012

The report analyzes a nationally representative survey of 1,061 American adults to track behaviors related to global warming. Key findings include a majority of Americans setting winter thermostats to 68 degrees or cooler and an increase in the adoption of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). While some consumer activism exists—such as rewarding or punishing companies based on their climate actions—citizen engagement through government contact or donations remains low. Additionally, the report finds that many Americans have friends with differing views on global warming, yet most feel comfortable discussing the topic with those who disagree.

• A majority of Americans (53%) report that they "always" or "often" set their winter thermostat to 68 degrees or cooler, though this is a decrease from the 62% reported in November 2008.
• The adoption of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) has increased, with 57% of Americans reporting that most or all of their home's bulbs are CFLs, compared to 40% in November 2008.
• Americans have shown a decline in confidence regarding the impact of individual energy-saving actions; only 32% believe such actions will reduce their personal contribution to global warming, a 16-point drop since 2008.
• Consumer activism is present, with 32% of Americans rewarding companies for steps to reduce global warming by purchasing their products and 24% punishing companies that oppose such steps by not purchasing them.
• Direct citizen action remains low, with only 12% of Americans contacting a government official about global warming and 15% volunteering or donating to related organizations.
• Among those who contact government officials, there is a growing trend of urging action to reduce global warming, rising to 89% in 2012 from 72% in 2010.
• Many Americans maintain social circles with diverse views on climate change; for instance, 42% of those who believe global warming is human-caused say only "a few" or "none" of their friends agree with them.
• Most Americans feel comfortable discussing global warming with those who hold opposing views; only 26% of those who believe global warming is human-caused feel uncomfortable explaining their views to those who do not believe it is happening.

APA

Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., & Howe, P. (2012). Americans’ Actions to Limit Global Warming in September 2012. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/September-2012-Americans-Actions-to-Limit-Global-Warming.pdf

Chicago

Leiserowitz, Anthony, Edward Maibach, Connie Roser-Renouf, Geoff Feinberg, and Peter Howe. Americans’ Actions to Limit Global Warming in September 2012. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2012. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/September-2012-Americans-Actions-to-Limit-Global-Warming.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Leiserowitz |first1=Anthony |last2=Maibach |first2=Edward |last3=Roser-Renouf |first3=Connie |last4=Feinberg |first4=Geoff |last5=Howe |first5=Peter |title=Americans’ Actions to Limit Global Warming in September 2012 |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=2012 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/September-2012-Americans-Actions-to-Limit-Global-Warming.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{leiserowitz2012americans, author = {Leiserowitz, Anthony and Maibach, Edward and Roser-Renouf, Connie and Feinberg, Geoff and Howe, Peter}, title = {{Americans’ Actions to Limit Global Warming in September 2012}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2012}, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/September-2012-Americans-Actions-to-Limit-Global-Warming.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }