Climate Change in the Ohioan Mind

The report finds that while a majority of Ohioans believe global warming is happening and support clean energy transitions, there is significant uncertainty regarding scientific consensus and the likelihood of successful collective action. A large portion of the population perceives increased flooding and heat waves in the state and believes that corporations, citizens, and government officials should all do more to address the issue.

• A majority of Ohioans believe global warming is occurring, though there is a notable gap in understanding scientific consensus. While 70% believe it is happening, 49% believe "there is a lot of disagreement among scientists" regarding its reality, compared to 43% who believe most scientists agree it is happening.
• Public perception of climate impacts in Ohio is characterized by observed increases in flooding and heat waves. 54% of residents state that flooding of rivers or lakes has become more severe in the state over recent years, and 44% believe heat waves have become more severe.
• Ohioans generally view global warming as a threat to others and future generations more than to themselves. While 70% believe it will cause moderate to great harm to future generations and plant and animal species, only 35% believe it will do at least a moderate amount of harm to them personally.
• There is broad support for government and corporate action, as well as a preference for the U.S. to lead in emissions reductions. 59% of Ohioans believe the United States should reduce greenhouse gas emissions "regardless of what other countries do," and 69% believe corporations and industry should be doing more.
• Support for clean energy is high, with 78% supporting tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels. Additionally, 43% believe that switching from fossil fuels to clean energy sources would "increase economic growth and the number of jobs in the state."
• Ohioans express skepticism about the ability or willingness of humanity to successfully reduce global warming. Only 7% believe that humans can reduce global warming and will do so successfully, while 32% believe that people are not willing to change their behavior to achieve it.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (n.d.). Climate Change in the Ohioan Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_09_Climate-Change-in-the-Ohioan-Mind.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the Ohioan Mind. n.d. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_09_Climate-Change-in-the-Ohioan-Mind.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the Ohioan Mind |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_09_Climate-Change-in-the-Ohioan-Mind.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunicationndclimate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the Ohioan Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_09_Climate-Change-in-the-Ohioan-Mind.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }