Climate Change in the American Mind

The March 2015 survey 'Climate Change in the American Mind' reveals that while a majority of Americans (63%) believe global warming is happening and support various mitigation and adaptation policies, there is a significant gap in understanding the scientific consensus. Only 10% of respondents are aware that over 90% of climate scientists agree that global warming is human-caused. Public worry remains stable but low, with only 11% being 'very worried.' Trust in information sources is highest for climate scientists (70%) and family and friends (67%), while trust in political leaders is fragmented. Most Americans view global warming as a major environmental, scientific, or agricultural issue, and a majority believe it is humankind's responsibility to care for the Earth.

• A majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring, with 63% stating it is happening and 18% stating it is not.
• Public concern is moderate but not acute, with 52% of Americans reporting they are at least 'somewhat worried' about global warming, but only 11% are 'very worried.'
• Americans generally perceive global warming as a distant threat; only 32% believe people in the U.S. are being harmed 'right now,' and the highest perceived harm is attributed to future generations (63%).
• There is strong public support for a variety of climate policies, including funding for weather-resistant infrastructure (81%), tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels (80%), and renewable energy research (79%).
• A majority of Americans (70%) support strict carbon dioxide emission limits on existing coal-fired plants to improve public health and reduce global warming, despite the likelihood of increased electricity costs.
• Americans believe that corporations and industry (68%) and individual citizens (64%) should be doing more to address global warming, more so than any specific government entity.
• Global warming is primarily viewed as an environmental (68%), scientific (60%), or agricultural (55%) issue, while it is rarely seen as a major national security (16%), poverty (16%), or social justice (15%) issue.
• A significant majority of Americans (62%) believe it is humankind's responsibility to protect and care for the Earth and its resources, compared to only 7% who believe it is a right to use them for their own benefit.
• Climate scientists (70%), family and friends (67%), and other scientists (64%) are the most trusted sources of information on global warming.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2015). Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2015/04/Global-Warming-CCAM-March-2015.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind. 2015. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2015/04/Global-Warming-CCAM-March-2015.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |date=March 2015 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2015/04/Global-Warming-CCAM-March-2015.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2015climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2015/04/Global-Warming-CCAM-March-2015.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }