Climate Change in the American Mind

The April 2014 report 'Climate Change in the American Mind' reveals that while a majority of Americans (64%) believe global warming is happening and are increasingly certain of this fact, there is a significant gap between public perception and scientific consensus. Only 44% of Americans believe global warming is both happening and human-caused, and only 12% are aware that 90% or more of climate scientists agree on this. Furthermore, the report finds that most Americans perceive global warming as a distant threat; only 15% are 'very worried' and only 32% believe people in the U.S. are being harmed 'right now'. Socially, the issue is not widely discussed, with two-thirds of Americans rarely or never discussing it with family and friends, often due to perceived disagreement.

• A majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring, and their level of certainty has increased over a three-year period. As of April 2014, 64% of Americans think global warming is happening. Among those who believe it is happening, 62% are either 'extremely' (30%) or 'very' (32%) sure, compared to 54% in May 2011.
• There is a divide in public opinion regarding the cause of global warming, with about half of Americans attributing it to human activity and one-third attributing it to natural changes. Specifically, 52% believe it is mostly human-caused, while 32% believe it is due to natural environmental changes.
• There is a stark discrepancy between the scientific consensus on human-caused global warming and public awareness. While 97% of climate scientists conclude human-caused global warming is happening, only 44% of Americans believe it is both happening and human-caused. Only 12% of the public knows that 90% or more of scientists have reached this conclusion.
• Most Americans view global warming as a distant threat rather than an immediate danger. Only 15% of respondents report being 'very worried' about it, and only 32% believe people in the U.S. are being harmed 'right now'. While 67% believe future generations will be harmed a great deal or a moderate amount, only 38% believe they will be personally harmed.
• Public optimism regarding the ability to reduce global warming is low. Only 6% of Americans believe humans can and will successfully reduce global warming. The most common view (42%) is that while humans could reduce it, it is unclear if the necessary actions will be taken.
• Global warming is infrequently discussed in social circles, often because of perceived lack of agreement. Two-thirds of Americans say they 'rarely' or 'never' discuss the topic with family and friends. Among those who feel none of their friends share their views, 77% never discuss it.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2014). Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2014/04/Climate-Change-American-Mind-April-2014.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind. 2014. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2014/04/Climate-Change-American-Mind-April-2014.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |date=April 2014 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2014/04/Climate-Change-American-Mind-April-2014.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2014climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2014/04/Climate-Change-American-Mind-April-2014.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }