MEET GLOBAL WARMING'S SIX AMERICAS

The document provides an educator's guide to the 'Global Warming’s Six Americas' framework, which categorizes the American public into six distinct audiences based on their beliefs and actions regarding climate change: Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Disengaged, Doubtful, and Dismissive. It outlines educational goals, such as articulating differences in public perception and developing communication strategies, and suggests classroom activities like group presentations and creative projects to engage students in 6th-7th grade or those new to climate communication.

• The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) has identified six unique audiences within the American public, known as Global Warming’s Six Americas, based on national survey data.
• The six audiences are defined by their level of acceptance and action: the 'Alarmed' are convinced of the reality and are taking action; the 'Concerned' believe it is a serious problem but are not personally engaged; the 'Cautious', 'Disengaged', and 'Doubtful' are at different stages of understanding and are not actively involved; and the 'Dismissive' believe it is not happening and oppose emission reduction efforts.
• YPCCC provides a four-question multiple-choice survey called the Six Americas Super Short SurveY (SASSY) to determine which of the six categories an individual falls into.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (n.d.). MEET GLOBAL WARMING'S SIX AMERICAS. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/02/Meet-GWSA-Educator-Page_2026.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. MEET GLOBAL WARMING'S SIX AMERICAS. n.d. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/02/Meet-GWSA-Educator-Page_2026.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=MEET GLOBAL WARMING'S SIX AMERICAS |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/02/Meet-GWSA-Educator-Page_2026.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunicationndmeet, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{MEET GLOBAL WARMING'S SIX AMERICAS}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/02/Meet-GWSA-Educator-Page_2026.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }