Report · Feb 16, 2023
Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, December 2022
By Anthony Leiserowitz, Edward Maibach, Seth Rosenthal, John Kotcher, Jennifer Carman, Marija Verner, Sanguk Lee, Matthew Ballew, Sri Saahitya Uppalapati, Eryn Campbell, Teresa Myers, Matthew Goldberg and Jennifer Marlon
Filed under: Beliefs & Attitudes and Climate Impacts
6. Impacts of Global Warming
6.1. A majority of Americans think global warming is affecting weather in the United States.
Sixty percent of Americans think global warming is affecting weather in the United States, including a majority (54%) who think global warming is affecting U.S. weather either “a lot” (31%) or “some” (23%).
As noted above, 31% of Americans think global warming is affecting weather “a lot.” This is about the same level as in most of our surveys since October 2017.
6.2. Most Americans think global warming is affecting environmental problems in the United States.
Most Americans think global warming is affecting many environmental problems in the United States at least “a little.” This includes seven in ten who think global warming is affecting extreme heat, droughts, and wildfires (all 70%). Six in ten or more think global warming is affecting water shortages (68%), rising sea levels (67%), flooding (66%), air pollution (64%), hurricanes (64%), tornados (62%), reduced snow pack (61%), and agricultural pests and diseases (60%). Majorities also think global warming is affecting water pollution (58%) and electricity power outages (57%).
6.3. About two in three Americans think wildfires have increased as a result of global warming.
About two in three Americans (68%) either “strongly” (32%) or “somewhat” (35%) agree that wildfires have increased around the world as a result of global warming.
6.4. A majority of Americans think extreme weather poses a risk to their community.
A majority of Americans (56%) think extreme weather poses either a “high” (17%) or “moderate” (38%) risk to their community over the next 10 years. Fewer think extreme weather poses either a “low” risk (30%) or “no” risk (6%).
6.5. A majority of Americans are worried about harm from environmental problems in their local area.
Section 6.2 of this report outlined the degree to which Americans think global warming is already affecting numerous environmental problems. This section details how worried Americans are that each of those environmental problems will harm their local area in the future. Majorities of Americans are at least “a little worried” about harm to their local area from water pollution (79%), electricity power outages (79%), air pollution (78%), droughts (75%), extreme heat (74%), agricultural pests and diseases (74%), water shortages (72%), flooding (65%), wildfires (62%), and tornados (61%). About half of Americans are worried about rising sea levels (52%), reduced snow pack (49%), and hurricanes (48%).
