Climate Change in the American Mind

The December 2022 survey finds that 70% of Americans believe global warming is happening, with 58% attributing it primarily to human activity. While 64% express worry and 63% feel a personal responsibility to help, social engagement remains low, as 63% rarely or never discuss the issue with family and friends. A majority of respondents perceive global warming as already affecting U.S. weather and various environmental problems, though only 14% believe it is too late to take action.

• A significant majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring, with those who believe it is happening outnumbering those who do not by more than 4 to 1 (70% vs 16%). When including those who 'lean' toward a yes answer, the total rises to 79%.
• More than half of Americans (58%) believe global warming is mostly caused by human activities, while 27% attribute it to natural environmental changes. Additionally, 58% recognize that most scientists agree global warming is happening.
• Americans perceive both current and future risks, with 49% believing people in the U.S. are being harmed 'right now' and 47% reporting personal experience with its effects. High levels of expected harm are attributed to plant and animal species (70%), future generations (68%), and the world's poor (66%).
• Emotional responses are prevalent, with 64% of Americans feeling at least 'somewhat worried.' Common emotions include interest (58%), frustration (48%), and hope (41%). Approximately 10% of respondents report symptoms of anxiety or depression specifically due to global warming over a two-week period.
• Despite personal concern, social engagement is limited; 63% of Americans rarely or never discuss global warming with family and friends. While 57% hear about it in the media at least monthly, only 25% hear people they know discuss it with that frequency.
• A majority of Americans (63%) feel a personal responsibility to reduce global warming, and 67% consider the issue personally important. However, perceived social norms are low, with only 36% believing their social circle makes a moderate or greater effort to reduce global warming.
• Fatalism is relatively low, as 61% of Americans disagree with the statement that it is already too late to act, while only 14% agree.
• Americans believe global warming is affecting U.S. weather (60%) and various environmental issues. High levels of perceived impact (70%) are linked to extreme heat, droughts, and wildfires. Majorities are worried about local harm from water pollution (79%), power outages (79%), and air pollution (78%).

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2022). Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/02/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-december-2022.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind. 2022. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/02/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-december-2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |date=December 2022 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/02/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-december-2022.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2022climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/02/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-december-2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }