The Yale survey results reveal that a majority of Americans understand that recent “local storming” including the increased number of hurricanes making landfall and extreme winter conditions are examples of the consequence of climate change.
Some of the most interesting results include:
· Sixty-three percent of Americans understand that global warming is happening, while 38% say it is not happening or don’t know.
· Fifty-five percent incorrectly believe that the Earth’s climate is now warmer than it has ever been before. According to researches, the global temperatures have been warmer “many times in the past.”
· Few Americans (19%) correctly understand that carbon dioxide generally stays in the atmosphere hundreds to thousands of years once it has been emitted.
· Respondents said they have learned the most about global warming from television (88%), newspapers
(71%), family and friends (69%), books & magazines (68%), and online (65%).
· Respondents said they have thought about global warming a lot (17%), some (35%), a little (33%), or not at all (15%).
· Seventy-five percent of respondents said that schools should teach children about the causes, impact, and possible solutions to global warming. Sixty-eight percent believed that the government should establish programs to teach American about the issue.
Solutions to reduce global warming – switching from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources, planting trees, increasing public transportation, and many other things – were overwhelmingly recognized by a majority of respondents ranging from a high of 81% to a low 59% for a specified solution.
Climate skeptics aside, these results show that green consciousness is a burgeoning movement. I can only hope that it will continue to grow and that the 2,030 survey participants are truly reflective of American society.
To test your own knowledge about climate change, the survey questions can be found in the report.