global warming’s six americas 2009

The report identifies six distinct audience segments within the U.S. adult population—the Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Disengaged, Doubtful, and Dismissive—that vary significantly in their level of concern and engagement with climate change. These groups are distinguished by their certainty that global warming is occurring, their perceived risk to themselves and future generations, and their support for specific national policies. While the Alarmed and Concerned are most likely to support aggressive carbon reduction and engage in consumer activism, the Doubtful and Dismissive are more likely to attribute warming to natural causes and oppose government regulation. The analysis highlights that effective climate communication requires tailored messaging based on these psychological, cultural, and political differences.

• The American public is divided into six distinct audience segments based on their response to global warming: the Alarmed (18%), Concerned (33%), Cautious (19%), Disengaged (12%), Doubtful (11%), and Dismissive (7%).
• The Alarmed segment is the most engaged and worried, viewing global warming as a personal threat and an urgent issue that is already harming people in the United States.
• The Concerned segment believes global warming is a serious problem and supports a vigorous national response, but they are less personally involved and less likely to take individual action than the Alarmed.
• The Cautious segment generally believes global warming is occurring but lacks certainty and urgency, viewing it as a distant problem that will not harm people in the U.S. for approximately 35 years.
• The Disengaged segment is characterized by a lack of knowledge and opinion, with a majority unsure if global warming is happening and a tendency to believe it will not harm people in the U.S. for about 30 years.
• The Doubtful segment is split on whether global warming is occurring and frequently attributes it to natural environmental changes, believing it will not harm people in the U.S. for at least 100 years.
• The Dismissive segment is certain that global warming is not happening and actively opposes national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• There is broad cross-segment support for funding renewable energy research and providing tax rebates for solar panels and fuel-efficient vehicles, while support for cap-and-trade systems is weak across all groups.
• Consumer activism is a common way for the Alarmed and Concerned to express their views, while political activism (such as contacting elected officials) is primarily limited to the Alarmed.
• The Alarmed and Dismissive segments are the most civically active, while the Disengaged are the least active and the least likely to be registered voters.
• Trust in information sources varies by segment: the Alarmed and Concerned trust scientists and environmental organizations, whereas the Doubtful and Dismissive trust family, friends, and conservative media commentators.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2009). global warming’s six americas 2009. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2009_05_Global-Warmings-Six-Americas.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. global warming’s six americas 2009. 2009. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2009_05_Global-Warmings-Six-Americas.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=global warming’s six americas 2009 |date=2009 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2009_05_Global-Warmings-Six-Americas.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2009global, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{global warming’s six americas 2009}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2009}, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2009_05_Global-Warmings-Six-Americas.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }