Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

Report Summary

Highlights

Consumer Behavior:

• Half of all Americans at least occasionally consider environmental impacts when deciding whether or not to buy a product.

• At least four in ten Americans say they “often” or “occasionally” bought food grown or produced locally (69%) or organic food (42%) in the past 12 months, while eight in ten intend to buy locally grown or produced food and six in ten intend to buy organic food in the next 12 months.

• Asked if, the next time they make a purchase, they intend to buy specific energy-efficient items, majorities of Americans say they will buy an energy-efficient kitchen appliance (75%), home water heater (71%), home air conditioner (68%), or home furnace (67%). Six in ten say the next time they purchase a car, it will average 30 miles or more per gallon (61%).

• Three in ten Americans (28%) say that, in the past 12 months, they have rewarded companies taking steps to reduce global warming by buying their products. About one in five (21%) also say that in the past 12 months they have punished companies opposing steps to reduce global warming by not purchasing their products.

• In the past 12 months, one in four Americans (26%) say they discussed what they see as a company’s irresponsible environmental behavior with friends or family. One in ten has spread information about offending companies via the Internet (10%).

Civic Behavior:

• Nearly four out of ten Americans (38%) say that they would be willing to join a campaign to convince elected officials to do “the right thing” about global warming.

• Over the past 12 months, five to ten percent of Americans have “often” or “occasionally” signed a petition about global warming (10%); shared information about global warming on Facebook or Twitter (7%); donated money to an organization working on global warming (7%); donated money to a political candidate because they share your views on global warming (6%); posted a comment online in response to a news story or blog about global warming (6%); written letters, emailed, or phoned a newspaper about global warming (5%); or volunteered time to elect a political candidate because they share your views on global warming (5%).