Climate Change in the American Mind

The April 2020 survey indicates that public engagement with climate change in the U.S. remains at historic highs, with 73% of Americans believing global warming is happening and 62% attributing it to human causes. Despite high levels of personal concern and a sense of responsibility, social norms for action remain weak, and most Americans rarely discuss the issue with family and friends. The report also highlights a significant gap in understanding the strength of the scientific consensus, with only 21% recognizing that over 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming.

• A record-tying 73% of Americans believe global warming is happening, with 54% expressing extreme or very high certainty, the highest level since surveys began in 2008.
• While 62% of Americans believe global warming is mostly human-caused, there is a significant gap in understanding the scientific consensus; only 21% know that more than 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming.
• Emotional engagement is high, with 66% of Americans reporting they are at least 'somewhat worried' about global warming, and 26% being 'very worried'.
• Perceptions of immediate harm are increasing, with 45% of Americans believing people in the U.S. are being harmed by global warming 'right now' and 44% stating they have personally experienced its effects.
• Americans perceive the highest risks of harm from global warming to plant and animal species (73%) and future generations (73%), followed by the world's poor (67%) and people in developing countries (66%).
• Social engagement remains low despite personal concern; 64% of Americans 'rarely' or 'never' discuss global warming with family and friends, and fewer than half perceive social norms expecting them to take action.
• Americans conceptualize global warming primarily as an environmental (82%) and scientific (74%) issue, though majorities also view it as agricultural (67%), severe weather (64%), and economic (64%) issues.
• There is strong public support for state and local governments to prioritize the protection of agriculture, public water supplies, and public health (all 55%) from global warming effects over the next decade.
• Most Americans (68%) disagree that it is too late to act on global warming, and 47% believe new technologies can solve the problem without requiring individuals to make significant life changes.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2020). Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2020/05/climate-change-american-mind-april-2020b.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind. 2020. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2020/05/climate-change-american-mind-april-2020b.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |date=April 2020 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2020/05/climate-change-american-mind-april-2020b.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2020climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2020/05/climate-change-american-mind-april-2020b.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }