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The guide emphasizes that avoiding dangerous climate change requires significant emissions reductions below 1990 levels by 2050, necessitating action at all levels of society. It highlights the unique role of local governments in implementing cost-effective community measures and educating the public on sustainable living. The text asserts that climate actions—such as improving energy efficiency, investing in public transit and biking infrastructure, developing renewable energy, and promoting local food production—not only reduce emissions but also lower energy bills, create green jobs, and enhance community resilience against economic downturns and extreme weather events.

The document tracks shifts in American public opinion on global warming across six identified groups, noting a significant increase in the 'Dismissive' group and a decrease in the 'Alarmed' group. Despite diverging views on the urgency and cause of climate change, most groups support clean energy development and the regulation of carbon dioxide.

The report identifies a significant discrepancy between the importance Americans place on environmentally friendly actions and their frequency of practice, while noting that barriers to these behaviors must be addressed through policy.

A January 2010 survey by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication reveals a sharp decline in American public concern and belief in global warming since 2008. Belief that global warming is occurring fell to 57%, and those worried about it dropped to 50%. Trust in information sources, including scientists and news media, also declined, while perceptions of scientific disagreement increased.

The report finds that a large majority of Americans, across political affiliations, support federal climate and energy policies such as renewable energy research and carbon dioxide regulation, even as general concern about global warming has declined. While support for cap-and-trade is sensitive to cost increases, it increases significantly if households receive offsets to cover higher energy costs.

The research identifies a "teachable moment" of increased information-seeking activity regarding global warming that lasted from 10 days before to 19 days after the release of the film The Day After Tomorrow. Using Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average modeling, the study found a significant positive correlation between media coverage of the movie and public information-seeking activity, though the data did not support hypothesized time lags.

The survey indicates that while the economy is the top priority for Americans, a majority still view global warming as a high national priority and personally important. There is strong support for U.S. action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including unilateral action and acceptance of economic costs, as well as high support for renewable energy research.

The report identifies six distinct audience segments within the U.S. adult population—the Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Disengaged, Doubtful, and Dismissive—that vary significantly in their level of concern and engagement with climate change. These groups are distinguished by their certainty that global warming is occurring, their perceived risk to themselves and future generations, and their support for specific national policies. While the Alarmed and Concerned are most likely to support aggressive carbon reduction and engage in consumer activism, the Doubtful and Dismissive are more likely to attribute warming to natural causes and oppose government regulation. The analysis highlights that effective climate communication requires tailored messaging based on these psychological, cultural, and political differences.

The document outlines a research project conducted via two national telephone surveys in September 2007 to assess American public support for local government actions to mitigate global warming. It argues that local governments are critical players in reducing greenhouse gas emissions because urban areas are the primary sources of these gases and local authorities control key levers such as building codes, zoning, transportation, and electricity production.

The 2007 survey reveals that while 71% of Americans believe global warming is happening and 62% view it as an urgent threat, there is a significant gap in the perception of scientific consensus, with only 48% believing such a consensus exists. Public opinion on the cause of global warming leans toward human influence, with 69% attributing it mainly or equally to human activities. However, personal worry is split evenly (50%) between those who are concerned and those who are not, largely because many perceive the threat as affecting distant locations rather than their own local communities. Notably, the belief that global warming is already or will soon have dangerous impacts on people rose by 20 percentage points between 2004 and 2007.

The text posits that people process uncertainty through both analytical and experiential systems, suggesting that translating statistical climate data into concrete, vicarious experiences can better motivate contingency planning and action than analytical understanding alone.

A 2013 survey of 800 Californians reveals high levels of belief in global warming (79%) and its human cause (58%), with significant concern for its impact on the state's wildfires, heat waves, and droughts. While there is strong support for clean energy and government action, many residents remain uncertain about humanity's collective ability to successfully reduce global warming.

The report finds that 70% of Coloradans believe global warming is happening, though only 48% attribute it primarily to human activities. While 59% are worried about global warming and 73% consider it personally important, there is significant uncertainty regarding scientific consensus, with 50% believing there is "a lot of disagreement among scientists". Residents have observed increased severity in wildfires (75%) and droughts (72%) within the state. There is broad support for clean energy, including tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels (79%) and renewable energy mandates for utilities (67%). Most respondents (69%) believe the U.S. should reduce greenhouse gas emissions regardless of other countries' actions. Individual engagement varies, with 51% rewarding climate-friendly companies through purchases and 39% punishing opposing companies by boycotting them.

The report finds that while a majority of Ohioans believe global warming is happening and support clean energy transitions, there is significant uncertainty regarding scientific consensus and the likelihood of successful collective action. A large portion of the population perceives increased flooding and heat waves in the state and believes that corporations, citizens, and government officials should all do more to address the issue.

The report finds that while 70% of Texans believe global warming is happening, there is significant uncertainty regarding its causes and the level of scientific consensus. A majority of Texans support clean energy transitions and believe the U.S. should reduce emissions regardless of other countries' actions, though they often view global warming as a greater threat to others than to themselves personally.

The report presents survey data from 2013 across four US states, revealing that while majorities believe global warming is happening, there are significant regional differences in perceived causes, levels of worry, and understanding of scientific consensus. It highlights a general trend where respondents view global warming as a distant threat and believe corporations and individuals should take more responsibility than government officials.

The report finds that while 70% of Columbus residents believe global warming is happening and many are worried about it, there is significant uncertainty regarding scientific consensus and personal experience with its effects. A majority support clean energy transitions and believe the U.S. should reduce emissions regardless of other countries' actions, though they remain skeptical about humanity's collective will to successfully reduce global warming.

A 2013 survey of 700 San Francisco adults reveals high levels of belief in human-caused global warming (67%) and significant concern for its impacts. While residents expect severe future effects, including the potential abandonment of parts of the city due to sea level rise (66%), they are uncertain if humanity will successfully reduce warming. There is strong support for clean energy transitions and a preference for the U.S. to reduce emissions regardless of other countries' actions.

The document provides data tables from surveys of U.S. adults conducted between March 2021 and October 2023. It highlights a significant gap between the percentage of people willing to take climate actions and those who have actually done so. It also analyzes how social influences, such as discussions with family and friends and confidence in collective action, differ between active and inactive individuals who are otherwise willing to act.

The guide outlines a 120-minute educational activity for 11-12th grade students to conduct authentic research on local climate change opinions. Students interview community members using YCOM questions, analyze their findings, and compare their results to YCOM data to identify experimental errors and limitations in data analysis.