Climate Change in the American Mind

The report finds that while a majority of Americans believe global warming is happening, this belief and the level of worry about it declined between Fall 2012 and April 2013, potentially due to seasonal weather effects. It highlights a persistent perception of climate change as a distant threat, though a significant minority now see it as a current harm to themselves and their communities.

• A majority of Americans (63%) believe global warming is happening, though this is a 7-point drop from Fall 2012. This decline was most notable in the Northeast and South, where respondents reported more extreme cold and snow storms, suggesting that "seasonal effects may account for at least some of the change".
• Belief in the cause of global warming is split; 49% believe it is caused mostly by human activities, while 33% attribute it to natural changes in the environment.
• Public perception of scientific consensus has shifted, with 42% of Americans believing "most scientists think global warming is happening," compared to 33% who believe there is significant disagreement among scientists.
• Global warming is generally perceived as a distant threat. While 63% believe it will harm future generations and plant/animal species, only 40% believe they personally will be harmed a "moderate amount" or a "great deal".
• There is a divide in the perception of immediate harm: 38% of Americans believe people around the world are being harmed "right now" by climate change, while 34% believe it is currently harming people within the United States.
• Americans are increasingly certain of their opinions on global warming. The proportion of people who say they have all the information they need to form a firm opinion rose from 23% in May 2011 to 34% in April 2013.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2013). Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_05_Americans’-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes-in-April-2013.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind. 2013. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_05_Americans’-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes-in-April-2013.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |date=April 2013 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_05_Americans’-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes-in-April-2013.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2013climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_05_Americans’-Global-Warming-Beliefs-and-Attitudes-in-April-2013.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }