Climate Change in the American Mind

The December 2020 survey reveals that 72% of Americans believe global warming is happening, with 58% attributing it to human activity. While 66% express worry and 65% feel a personal responsibility to help, social engagement remains low, as 62% rarely or never discuss the issue with family and friends. The report also highlights a gap in scientific literacy, with only 20% aware that over 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming. Americans primarily view global warming as an environmental (80%) and scientific (73%) issue, and a majority believe it is already harming people in the U.S. and affecting national weather.

• A significant majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring, with 72% stating it is happening compared to 13% who believe it is not. Half of the population (50%) are 'extremely' or 'very' sure of its occurrence.
• While 58% of Americans recognize that global warming is mostly human-caused, there is a notable lack of understanding regarding the strength of the scientific consensus; only 20% know that more than 90% of climate scientists agree on this point.
• Emotional responses are varied, with 66% of Americans reporting they are at least 'somewhat worried' about global warming. Other common emotions include feeling 'hopeful' (43%), 'disgusted' (42%), or 'helpless' (41%).
• Perceptions of harm are increasing, with 47% of Americans believing people in the U.S. are being harmed by global warming 'right now.' Additionally, 42% report having personally experienced its effects.
• Social engagement with the topic is low; 62% of Americans rarely or never discuss global warming with friends and family, and only 21% hear people they know talk about it at least once a month.
• Most Americans feel a personal connection to the issue, with 66% stating it is personally important and 65% feeling a personal responsibility to help reduce global warming.
• Americans conceptualize global warming primarily as an environmental (80%) and scientific (73%) issue, though majorities also view it as agricultural (68%), severe weather (66%), economic (66%), and health (62%) related.
• There is a strong link between global warming and weather perceptions in the U.S., with 63% believing it is affecting U.S. weather and 35% stating it is affecting it 'a lot.'
• A majority of Americans associate specific extreme weather events with global warming, including 55% for 2020 Gulf Coast hurricanes and tropical storms, and 54% for western U.S. wildfires.
• Local environmental hazards cause significant concern, with the highest levels of worry directed at water pollution (73%) and air pollution (73%).

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2020). Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/02/climate-change-american-mind-december-2020.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind. 2020. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/02/climate-change-american-mind-december-2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |date=December 2020 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/02/climate-change-american-mind-december-2020.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 = dec, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/02/climate-change-american-mind-december-2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }