What prompts interest in climate change?

Using Google Search data, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication identifies that interest in climate change in the United States follows predictable cycles tied to Earth Day and the school year, as well as spikes driven by extreme weather. While heatwaves trigger nationwide interest, events like wildfires produce more localized spikes based on geographic exposure, such as the 2023 Canadian wildfires affecting the American Northeast. The authors argue that these trends can be used by decision-makers to time communications on risk, adaptation, and the transition to renewable energy when public awareness is highest.

• Public interest in climate change in the United States exhibits a predictable cyclical pattern driven primarily by Earth Day and the American school year, with interest increasing at the start of the fall term and decreasing during holidays.
• Extreme weather events trigger spikes in climate change search interest, though the geographic scope varies by event type: heatwaves tend to cause simultaneous jumps across all regions, whereas wildfires cause more localized interest based on proximity to impacts.
• The June 2023 Canadian wildfires specifically increased climate change search interest in the American Northeast due to smoke exposure, which made New York the world's most polluted city on June 6, 2023, while the American South saw no similar spike.
• Current US public perception shows that 72% of adults believe global warming is happening and 65% agree it is affecting the weather.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2025). What prompts interest in climate change? https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/what-prompts-interest-in-climate-change/

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. What prompts interest in climate change? 2025. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/what-prompts-interest-in-climate-change/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=What prompts interest in climate change? |date=31 July 2025 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/what-prompts-interest-in-climate-change/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2025what, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{What prompts interest in climate change?}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/what-prompts-interest-in-climate-change/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }