Search Climate Insights Directory

The Spring 2023 survey of 1,011 American adults reveals that a strong majority believe global warming is happening and is mostly human-caused. While worry and perceived risks are high—with many reporting personal experience of its effects—social engagement remains low, as most respondents rarely discuss the issue with family and friends. Despite this, a majority feel a personal responsibility to help and reject fatalism, disagreeing that it is too late to take action.

The document explains attribution studies—which use climate models to determine if and how much human-induced climate change affected a specific event—and provides guidance on reporting various extreme phenomena. It details how global warming increases the probability and intensity of heatwaves and heavy precipitation globally, while the effects on droughts, wildfires, and tropical cyclones vary by region or specific metric. It emphasizes that while climate change influences the risk and intensity of these events, human factors like land use and water management also contribute to whether an event becomes a disaster.

The December 2022 survey finds that 70% of Americans believe global warming is happening, with 58% attributing it primarily to human activity. While 64% express worry and 63% feel a personal responsibility to help, social engagement remains low, as 63% rarely or never discuss the issue with family and friends. A majority of respondents perceive global warming as already affecting U.S. weather and various environmental problems, though only 14% believe it is too late to take action.

The U.S. has seen a steady increase in the frequency and cost of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters since 1980. In 2022, by September 30, the country had already experienced 15 such events totaling $29.3 billion in losses, exceeding the historical annual average of seven. The time between these disasters has shrunk from 82 days in the 1980s to an average of 18 days between 2017 and 2021, reducing the time available for recovery and preparation. While hurricanes are the most costly event type, the overall trend of increasing extremes is linked to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, with projections suggesting further intensity without rapid emissions cuts.

Climate Central's analysis of U.S. power outage data from 2000-2021 reveals a significant increase in large-scale disruptions, with 83% of major outages attributed to weather-related events. The report highlights that the frequency of major outages rose by 64% between 2011-2021 compared to 2000-2010, driven by severe weather, winter storms, hurricanes, extreme heat, and wildfires. It emphasizes the vulnerability of aging infrastructure and the compounding effects of climate change, which simultaneously increases electricity demand for cooling while reducing the capacity of power plants due to water shortages. The report identifies the Southeast as the region with the highest number of outages and notes specific recent surges in Texas, California, and Michigan.

The report finds that while a majority of Americans (72%) believe global warming is happening and 56% attribute it to human causes, there is a significant gap in understanding the strength of the scientific consensus. Public concern is high, with 64% feeling worried and many reporting personal experiences with climate impacts, yet social discussion of the topic remains low, with 67% rarely or never discussing it with family and friends.

The document outlines how climate change impacts mental health through direct, indirect, and vicarious risks. It provides data on depression and PTSD following disasters like hurricanes, highlights widespread climate anxiety among Americans and global youth, and discusses strategies for building individual and community resilience.

A survey of 1,018 American adults in April 2022 reveals that while 72% believe global warming is happening and 56% attribute it to human causes, there is a significant gap in understanding the strength of scientific consensus. A majority of respondents (64%) are worried about global warming, and many perceive it as already affecting U.S. weather and local environmental risks, such as electricity power outages and water pollution. However, social engagement remains low, with 67% rarely or never discussing the topic with family and friends.

The document reports that 2021 was the 4th hottest year on record for the U.S., characterized by 20 billion-dollar disasters totaling $145 billion in damages. It highlights a long-term warming trend from 1970 to 2021 and a significant increase in the frequency of high-cost disasters compared to historical averages.

The September 2021 survey indicates that public understanding of global warming is at record highs in the U.S., with 76% of Americans believing it is happening and 60% attributing it to human causes. While 70% of respondents express worry and 69% feel a personal responsibility to help, there is a gap in understanding the strength of scientific consensus, with only 24% aware that over 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming. The report also highlights a high perceived link between global warming and domestic weather impacts, including extreme heat and wildfires, though many Americans rarely discuss the topic with friends or family.

The proposal seeks USD 299,846 to help Honduras integrate climate resilience into its post-pandemic and post-disaster economic recovery. The project focuses on using the Green Economy Model (GEM) to quantify impacts, conducting stakeholder consultations to prioritize interventions, and developing a concrete investment plan. This will culminate in three pre-feasibility studies and at least one project concept note for future GCF funding. The initiative is aligned with the national Reconstruction and Sustainable Development Plan (PRDS) and is implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The September 2021 report 'Climate Change in the American Mind' provides a comprehensive data set tracking US public opinion on global warming. Key findings include a rise in the percentage of Americans who believe global warming is happening (76% in September 2021) and an increase in those who are 'Very worried' about it (35%). The data also shows a growing consensus that global warming is caused by human activities (60%) and is affecting US weather (70%), specifically impacting wildfires (50% 'A lot') and extreme heat (49% 'A lot').

The September 2021 'Climate Change in the American Mind' report reveals that 76% of Americans believe global warming is happening, with 60% attributing it primarily to human activity. While 70% express worry and a majority perceive risks to their local communities from extreme weather, there is a significant gap in understanding the strength of scientific consensus, with only 24% aware that over 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming. The report also highlights that most Americans conceptualize global warming as an environmental and scientific issue, though a growing number view it through the lenses of morality and social justice.

The author contends that U.S. foreign policy fails to recognize the complex drivers of forced displacement in Central America, specifically the intersection of extreme weather events and structural poverty. The text highlights how the Central American Dry Corridor is particularly vulnerable to droughts and storms, which destroy subsistence agriculture and drive migration. It further argues that many migrants are misclassified as 'economic migrants' when they are actually fleeing climate-induced food insecurity and systemic oppression, particularly among Indigenous groups. The author calls for a shift from a 'hard security' approach to a humanitarian framework based on 'common but differentiated responsibilities' to address the asylum and refugee needs of this population.

Between 2014 and 2020, there was a significant increase in the proportion of U.S. adults who recognize the health harms caused by climate change. This trend was observed across most of the 'Six Americas' audience segments, including those with low engagement like the Cautious and Disengaged, while the Doubtful and Dismissive segments showed little to no change in risk perception.

The analysis finds a significant increase in the proportion of Americans who recognize the health risks of climate change between 2014 and 2020. This growth in awareness occurred across most audience segments, including those with low engagement, while those skeptical of climate change showed little to no change in perception.

The guide advises journalists to frame climate change as a factor that makes extreme weather worse rather than a sole cause. It provides key data on global warming, noting a 2 degree Fahrenheit increase since pre-industrial times and the goal to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The text details how climate change intensifies heat waves, floods, and hurricanes—noting that hurricanes now lose only 50% of their strength in the first 24 hours after landfall compared to 75% fifty years ago. It also highlights risks to biodiversity, the role of agriculture in producing a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the scientific necessity of eliminating new carbon emissions by 2050.

The author argues that environmental racism and a decline in federal funding since the 1970s have created severe disparities in water access for Latino, Black, and Indigenous communities in the US. The text highlights the vulnerability of these populations to climate-driven disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, and calls for Congress to implement water affordability protections, prohibit shutoffs, and invest in green infrastructure and wastewater system repairs, prioritizing areas like the San Joaquin Valley, Puerto Rico, and the Navajo Nation.

The briefing describes a 'new abnormal' characterized by continuous climate escalation, citing extreme wildfires in Colorado and the US West, as well as hurricanes on the East and Gulf Coasts. It identifies five primary challenges: mass migration, health threats from air pollution and 'threat multipliers', financial instability due to asset loss and insurance costs, the need for resilient urban rebuilding, and the requirement to update the electric grid with localized resources and microgrids. The author calls for a 50 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050 to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The document reports that while the total number of hurricanes is not increasing, the probability of storms reaching major hurricane status (Category 3-5) has risen significantly, particularly in the North Atlantic. It attributes this trend to rising sea surface temperatures and atmospheric warming, which also contribute to heavier rainfall, slower storm speeds, and deeper coastal flooding due to sea level rise.