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Climate Activism: A Six-Americas Analysis, December 2020


Executive Summary

Drawing on a nationally representative survey (n = 1,036), this report describes how Americans view climate activism – including their sense of efficacy about climate activism, and the activism behaviors they are taking or would consider. Additionally, it explores differences in climate activism among Global Warming’s Six Americas.

 

Global Warming’s Six Americas

  • Our prior research has found that Americans can be categorized into six distinct groups – Global Warming’s Six Americas – based on their beliefs and attitudes about climate change. Currently, about one in four Americans (26%) are Alarmed about global warming, with an additional 29% who are Concerned. Fewer Americans are Cautious (19%), Disengaged (6%), Doubtful (12%), or Dismissive (8%) regarding global warming.
  • Over the past five years, the U.S. population as a whole has shifted towards the Alarmed In October 2015, the Alarmed (17%) outnumbered the Dismissive (10%) by seven percentage points. As of December 2020, however, the Alarmed outnumber the Dismissive by more than 3 to 1 (26% vs. 8%).

 

Activism Efficacy

  • About half of Americans are at least “moderately confident” that people like them, working together, can affect what local businesses do about global warming (51%). Four in ten or more are similarly confident that people can affect what their local government (47%), their state government (46%), the federal government (43%), or corporations (43%) do about global warming.
  • The Alarmed are the most confident in their collective ability to influence decision-makers regarding global warming. The ConcernedCautious, and Disengaged have more moderate perceptions of their collective influence, and the Doubtful and Dismissive have the lowest perceptions of it.

 

Individual and Collective Action to Reduce Global Warming

  • Only one percent of Americans say they are currently participating in a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming. However, about three in ten Americans say they either would definitely participate (9%) or probably participate (20%) in such a campaign.
  • While only four percent of the Alarmed and one percent of the Concerned say they are currently participating in a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming, more than half of the Alarmed (58%) and about one in three of the Concerned (35%) say they either definitely or probably would participate in a campaign.
  • If asked by someone they like and respect, one in four Americans (25%), including about half of the Alarmed (48%) would support an organization engaging in non-violent civil disobedience against corporate or government activities that make global warming worse. Fifteen percent of Americans, including 31% of the Alarmed, say they would personally engage in non-violent civil disobedience.
  • About three in ten Americans, including about half or more of the Alarmed, say they would, if asked by a person they like and respect, volunteer their time to an organization working on global warming (31%), donate money to an organization working on global warming (30%), write letters, email, or phone government officials about global warming (30%), or meet with an elected official or their staff about global warming (28%).
  • However, fewer Americans say they have actually taken these actions in the past year. Thirteen percent of Americans (including 35% of the Alarmed) say they signed a petition about global warming over the past 12 months. One in ten Americans (10%; including 24% of the Alarmed) donated money to a political candidate because of their views on global warming, nine percent of Americans (including 21% of the Alarmed) donated money to an organization working on global warming, and six percent of Americans (including 15% of the Alarmed) volunteered their time to elect a political candidate because of the candidate’s views on global warming.
  • Few Americans (9%) say they have contacted an elected official during the past 12 months to urge them to take action to reduce global warming. However, about one in four of the Alarmed (24%) say they have done so.
  • Thirty-six percent of Americans, including 65% of the Alarmed, have rewarded companies that are taking steps to reduce global warming by buying their products. Similarly, 30% of Americans, including 60% of the Alarmed, have punished companies that are opposing steps to reduce global warming by not buying their products.