Climate Change in the Texan Mind

The report finds that while 70% of Texans believe global warming is happening, there is significant uncertainty regarding its causes and the level of scientific consensus. A majority of Texans support clean energy transitions and believe the U.S. should reduce emissions regardless of other countries' actions, though they often view global warming as a greater threat to others than to themselves personally.

• A majority of Texans believe global warming is occurring, but there is a lack of consensus on its cause and scientific agreement. While 70% believe it is happening, only 44% attribute it mostly to human activities, and 47% believe "there is a lot of disagreement among scientists" regarding its occurrence.
• Texans perceive global warming as a significant threat to the environment and future generations, but less so to themselves. Approximately 72% believe it will cause moderate to great harm to plant and animal species, whereas only 40% believe it will do at least a moderate amount of harm to them personally.
• There is strong support in Texas for clean energy policies and the economic potential of a transition away from fossil fuels. 77% support tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels, and 43% believe switching to clean energy would "increase economic growth and the number of jobs" in the state.
• Texans believe the United States should take a leadership role in reducing emissions. 55% state the U.S. should reduce greenhouse gas emissions "regardless of what other countries do," and 66% support a medium- or large-scale effort even if it involves medium or large economic costs.
• Many Texans have observed increasing severity of extreme weather in their state and link these trends to global warming. 67% report that drought has become more severe, and among those who believe global warming is happening, 80% believe it has had at least a moderate influence on drought severity.
• Public trust in political figures regarding energy and climate issues varies, with President Obama and Governor Rick Perry both viewed as believable by half or more of the population. 58% find President Obama very or somewhat believable, and 50% say the same for Governor Rick Perry.

APA

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

Chicago

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

Wikipedia

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