Climate Change in the American Mind

A survey of 930 registered U.S. voters reveals broad support for clean energy research and policies, such as soil restoration (88%) and carbon dioxide regulation (77%). While 58% prefer candidates who support climate action, significant political polarization remains regarding the priority of global warming for the president and Congress. Notably, 67% of voters believe global warming affects the U.S. cost of living, primarily impacting utility bills and groceries. The report also highlights a majority opposition (58%) to local data center construction due to concerns over electricity costs, and a general trust in climate scientists (71%) and primary care doctors (65%) as information sources.

• A majority of registered voters prefer political candidates who support action on global warming, though this varies by party: 58% of all registered voters prefer such candidates, compared to 92% of liberal Democrats and 18% of conservative Republicans.
• There is strong bipartisan support for specific climate-friendly policies, including federal funding for farmers to improve soil carbon storage (88%), renewable energy research (78%), and the regulation of carbon dioxide as a pollutant (77%).
• Registered voters perceive a direct link between global warming and the cost of living, with 67% believing it affects the U.S. cost of living and 64% stating it affects their own. The most cited impacted costs are home utility bills (66%) and groceries (61%).
• While 68% of voters believe the U.S. should use more renewable energy and 56% believe it should use fewer fossil fuels, there is a divide on the economic impact of the transition: 58% think it will make electricity less expensive or have no impact, while 41% believe it will make electricity more expensive.
• A majority of registered voters (58%) oppose the construction of data centers in their local area, with 60% believing such facilities would increase their electricity bills. However, 74% support requiring these centers to offset electricity use by installing rooftop solar and weatherizing local homes.
• Public trust in information sources about global warming is highest for climate scientists (71%), family and friends (69%), and primary care doctors (65%), while trust is lowest for AI chatbots (24%) and social media posts (18%).
• Voters identify various entities that should do more to address global warming, with the highest percentages for corporations and industry (66%), the U.S. Congress (61%), and President Trump (61%).
• Regarding gasoline prices, 78% of registered voters are worried about current prices, and 42% attribute recent increases to President Trump and his administration.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2026). Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-spring-2026b.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind. 2026. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-spring-2026b.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |date=March 2026 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-spring-2026b.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2026climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-spring-2026b.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }