What do people in the US think about climate change?

The large majority of people in the US see global warming and want the government to act. This holds across the country, in all states, even those run by Republicans. This has been shown for years in surveys conducted by the Climate Change Communication program at George Mason University and Yale, easily found online.

This holds everywhere. A globe- spanning survey by the 89% Project of international newsrooms showed that the very large majority of people in all nations want their governments to do more to fight global warming. The 74% in the US is a lower percentage than almost every other nation.

How much are people aware of these opinions? Why does this matter?

People who care about global warming tend to think others don’t care. This is part of what prevents climate action. People are more willing to act when they see that others care. Per the 89% Project: “We’re sitting on an enormous potential climate movement...It’s latent. It hasn’t been activated or catalyzed.

But when you break through these perception gaps, you help people under- stand that they’re not alone...Making people aware of this would help a lot and bring hope. [A lot] of people are self-censoring and not fighting or voting [for climate action] because they think that their ideas are not in the zeitgeist.”

The same holds for politicians. Elected officials greatly underestimate the number of constituents who care about global warming. “You might think their political antennas are finely tuned to public opinion, but they are not – sometimes wildly underestimating public views. . . If we can make politicians more aware of what the people in their country want, they mightactually act on people’s preferences.”

 Why does reducing climate change have a low political priority?

The lack of awareness of public opinion is one reason. Another is the misinformation skillfully produced by the fossil fuel industry.

A third reason may be that the environmental impacts of climate change are often confused with environmental problems we’ve addressed before. These have mainly been things we directly created and try to directly solve, often successfully. The problems can be big or small, but they are addressed case by case.

In contrast, the climate change caused by humans is an indirect result of greenhouse gas emissions and is global in its impacts. The impacts are new and growing fast and have the potential to damage life on earth. There can only be a global cure. It is easy to see this as outside the scope of government action and beyond our choices in voting.

The solution may be recognizing that a global cure will come from hundreds of local actions, from individuals reducing power consumption, to states and nations replacing fossil fuels with solar and wind power. State actions can be popular. The strong political support in Washington for the Climate Commitment Act is a good example. The CCA was protected by voters in soundly rejecting I-2117. It was protected again by the state legislature in a tough bud- get process.

How much are people aware of these opinions? Why does this matter?

First, we can share our views with friends, neighbors and colleagues. Ask them what they think about global warming. If they care, tell them you care too, and that most others agree.

Second, we can share this information with all of our elected officials.  This will back up the good positions many have taken, encourage more of the same, and at least stimulate some thought by those who have not supported climate action.

Third, we can move from the general to here and now. When a political issue directly or indirectly affecting the climate is on the table, tell the decision makers how many of their constituents want action on global warming. Use the data.

Fourth, we can repeat this in next year’s elections. Tell all state and federal candidates the majority view of their constituents and ask for their positions on any climate actions at hand. Publish their responses or non-responses.

In all this, do not be discouraged by the federal government’s insane denial of climate change. Trump and the billionaires he serves care more about putting money into their already stuffed pockets than protecting a livable world for their own grandchildren. But the public is opening its eyes. Opinions are the result of the occasions for expressing them. Every day, each of us can add a little weight.