Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

LATINOS WANT ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
National survey shows Latinos are more engaged than non-Latinos
September 27, 2017 – (New Haven, CT) A new national study finds that Latinos in the United States are more convinced global warming is happening and human-caused than their non-Latino counterparts. They are also more worried about it, supportive of climate change policies, and willing to take political action. Nearly three in four Latinos want industry, citizens, President Trump and the U.S. Congress to do more to address global warming.

The report, Climate Change in the Latino Mind was released today by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

Experts comment:

“A majority of Latinos are willing to join a campaign to convince elected officials to take action on climate change – yet most remain on the sidelines,” said lead researcher Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz of Yale University. “As such they represent a big opportunity for the climate community to build public and political will for climate action.”

“These findings reaffirm the fact that global support for action on climate change is alive and well among all segments of society,” said Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. “It’s not surprising to see the deep concern around global warming that exists in the Latino community in the U.S., after all, the impacts are hard to ignore. The Latino community’s commitment to action is also heartening as it reflects the overwhelming support that we heard from Latin American nations and the world during the Paris Climate negotiations.”

“This report confirms what we’ve seen historically: Latinos are extremely concerned about climate change and are ready to act,” said Adrianna Quintero, founder of Voces Verdes and director of Partnerships at NRDC. “As we face the increasingly dire impacts of extreme weather and other climate impacts, we must do a better job of engaging Latinos from all walks of life to demand action and ensure our communities are protected.”

Key Findings:

• More than eight in ten Latinos (84%) think global warming is happening, including nearly nine in ten Spanish-language Latinos (88%).
• Seven in ten Latinos (70%) understand global warming is mostly human caused, including three-quarters of Spanish-language Latinos (76%).
• Three in four Latinos (78%) are worried about global warming; one in three (35%) are “very worried”, including 43% of Spanish-language Latinos, who are “very worried”.
• Three in four Latinos want corporations and industry (77%), citizens themselves (74%), President Trump (74%), and the U.S. Congress (73%) to do more to address global warming.
• Many Latinos are willing to take political action on global warming, including a majority who would vote for a candidate for public office because of their position on global warming (60%). A majority are also willing to join a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming (51%), including 61% of Spanish-language Latinos.
• Seven in ten Latinos (71%) have never been contacted by an organization working to reduce global warming.

Background

Results for Latinos are based on a nationally representative survey of Latinos in the U.S. (n=2,054) conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication on the GfK KnowledgePanel Latino®. Interview dates: May 18 – June 8, 2017. Respondents chose whether to take the survey in English or Spanish. Results are reported for English- and Spanish-language preference according to respondents’ survey language choice. The research was funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Results for non-Latinos are based on findings from a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults (n=1,266) conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication on the GfK KnowledgePanel®. Interview dates: May 18 – June 6, 2017. The research was funded by the 11th Hour Project, the Energy Foundation, the Grantham Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation.

In addition to Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, principal investigators included Drs. Seth Rosenthal and Matthew Cutler of Yale University.

For questions about the survey, please contact:

Anthony Leiserowitz, Ph.D, Director, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 203-432-4865, anthony.leiserowitz@yale.edu

For more information, please visit: Climate Change in the Latino Mind

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The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication conducts scientific research on public climate change knowledge, attitudes, policy preferences, and behavior. Our mission is to advance the science of climate change communication, help leaders communicate more effectively, and increase the public’s understanding of climate risks and opportunities.