More Americans, even Republicans, are accepting the reality of global warming— but they’re still very much divided on why and what to do about it.
Public opinions on global warming, including perceived risk and support for climate policies, have shifted considerably over more than a decade, with some of the most pronounced upward trends coming in deeply conservative states, according to new national surveys released by Yale University.
Researchers at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that Americans are more worried about climate change now than they were in 2010, and support for renewable energy has also grown over time. But the findings showed that there are still discrepancies in how people talk about climate change and strong divisions over what should be done to address it.
The surveys come as the country gears up for a presidential election this year, providing some insight into what voters think should be key priorities for the candidates. The findings were also released on the heels of Earth’s hottest year in recorded history, one characterized by dangerous heat waves, intense storms and historic wildfires.
Although climate change is far from a bipartisan issue, the new surveys revealed that climate change beliefs and perceptions of risk have been consistently rising in most states, said Jennifer Marlon, a senior research scientist at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, who led the research.
That trend was true even in many Republican strongholds. In Texas and North Carolina, for instance, the percentage of adults who said they think global warming is happening rose to 72% in 2023 — the national average — from 60% in 2010. And in Indiana, that figure rose to 65% in 2023 , from 55% in 2010.
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