Climate Change in the American Mind

The report finds that while 70% of Americans believe global warming is happening and 55% attribute it to human causes, there is a significant gap in understanding the scientific consensus. Most Americans view global warming as a distant threat, with high levels of worry but low optimism regarding the ability of the U.S. Congress to pass necessary legislation.

• A majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring and is human-caused. Specifically, 70% think global warming is happening, and 55% understand that it is "mostly human caused," which is the highest level recorded since November 2008.
• There is a substantial gap between public perception and scientific consensus; only 15% of Americans are aware that more than 90% of climate scientists are convinced that human-caused global warming is happening.
• Emotional responses to global warming are mixed, with 61% of Americans reporting they are at least "somewhat worried." While 48% feel "hopeful," significant minorities also feel "helpless" (46%), "disgusted" (42%), and "afraid" (42%).
• Americans generally perceive global warming as a distant threat. While 60% believe it affects U.S. weather, only 36% believe people in the U.S. are being harmed "right now." The highest perceived risks are for future generations (71%) and plant and animal species (70%).
• Public optimism regarding a societal and political response is low. Only 36% believe the American people can convince the U.S. Congress to pass legislation to reduce global warming, and only 5% believe humans can and will successfully reduce it.
• Americans primarily conceptualize global warming as an environmental (76%) or scientific (70%) issue. Other significant conceptualizations include agricultural (65%), health (62%), and economic (60%) issues, while fewer see it as a moral (37%) or religious (8%) issue.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2016). Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2017/01/Climate-Change-American-Mind-November-2016.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind. 2016. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2017/01/Climate-Change-American-Mind-November-2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |date=November 2016 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2017/01/Climate-Change-American-Mind-November-2016.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2016climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2017/01/Climate-Change-American-Mind-November-2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }