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I spend a lot of time reading polling results and the latest public opinion research. I look for noteworthy statistics and interesting trends, trying to get a finger on the pulse of the American public about environmental issues.
And just when the presidential race gets uglier than ever, climate polling is offering us some reasons to be optimistic. Every poll that I have seen this year shows that the vast majority of Americans acknowledge that climate disruption is happening and that humans are at least partially to blame. And even larger segments of the population support the United States taking action to fight it, such as reducing dangerous climate pollution, investing in energy efficiency technology, and expanding our production and use of clean and renewable energy.
In February, the University of Texas at Austin released its latest Energy Poll, which found that 73 percent of American adults -- including 54 percent of Republicans -- think global climate change is occurring. This represents a significant increase from four years ago, when 65 percent of adults believed it was happening. Just 16 percent of adults say they believe climate change is not occurring.
In March, Gallup released its latest national survey finding that a record-breaking 65 percent of adults now say increases in the Earth's temperature over the last century are due “mostly” to the effects of pollution from human activity. This exceeds the previous high of 61 percent in 2007, and it represents a 10-point increase in the past year. Few institutions have surveyed the American public on climate issues for as long as Gallup has, which makes these results all the more impressive.
Concern about climate disruption is also on the rise. Nearly two-in-three Americans say they are worried about global warming, according to the Gallup survey. And concern has risen across the political spectrum. For example, 64 percent of independents say they worry at least “a fair amount” about global warming, up from 55 percent last year. The percentage of Republicans who say they are worried has risen by nine points in the last year (from 31% to 40%). With less room to move, the proportion of Democrats who are worried has risen slightly less, from 78 percent to 84 percent. But despite broad concern, many Americans continue to doubt that climate disruption will pose a serious threat to them in their lifetimes. Four-in-ten Americans currently say it will, but 57 percent still do not see climate disruption as an urgent personal threat. The Pew Research Center found earlier this year that dealing with climate change ranked lower on a list of Americans’ top priorities, behind issues such as improving the economy and creating more jobs.
Still, growing numbers of Americans are calling for climate action. The same Pew survey found that 70 percent of Americans say that dealing with global climate change should be an important priority for President Obama and Congress. This is a nine-point increase from five years ago, and the highest level recorded by Pew since 2008. According to the UT Energy Poll, nearly two-in-three adults say that “reducing carbon emissions” should be a priority issue for the United States. Americans continue to prefer clean energy over fossil fuel use by wide margins. Millennials are particularly supportive of clean energy use. In January, USA Today and Rock the Vote released survey data showing that 80 percent of Americans between 18 and 35 years of age agree that the country should transition to using “mostly clean or renewable energy” by 2030.
The significant movements in public opinion in recent years can be attributed to many different causes, including recent weather patterns and extreme events. The media and attention around Pope Francis's U.S. visit and the successful international climate negotiations in Paris last December also undoubtedly played a role. What is clear is that the social norm is now to acknowledge that climate disruption is happening and that it warrants our attention. Climate deniers have become a dwindling minority.
Of course, our next challenge is channeling this growing concern into greater action and electing climate champions in November. While climate disruption may not be the top deciding factor for most Americans in the voting booth, the American public is increasingly putting politics aside and accepting what 97% of climate scientists already agree on: Human-caused climate disruption is happening. The gap between the public and Republicans in Congress on the issue of climate disruption is becoming more and more gaping, and politicians can only deny the public’s will for so long before Congress has to take serious climate action.