Report · Jan 11, 2024
Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, Fall 2023
By Anthony Leiserowitz, Edward Maibach, Seth Rosenthal, John Kotcher, Emily Goddard, Jennifer Carman, Matthew Ballew, Marija Verner, Jennifer Marlon, Sanguk Lee, Teresa Myers, Matthew Goldberg, Nicholas Badullovich and Kathryn Thier
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.
About six in ten Americans (61%) think global warming is affecting weather in the United States, including a majority (55%) who think global warming is affecting U.S. weather either “a lot” (33%) or “some” (22%).
As noted above, 33% 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 three in four who think global warming is affecting extreme heat (75%), and about seven in ten who think global warming is affecting droughts (71%) and wildfires (70%). Two in three think global warming is affecting air pollution, water shortages, flooding, and rising sea levels (all 66%). Majorities also think global warming is affecting hurricanes (64%), reduced snow pack (61%), tornados (61%), agricultural pests and diseases (59%), water pollution (58%), and electricity power outages (57%).
6.3. About half of Americans think extreme weather poses a risk to their community.
About half of Americans (52%) think extreme weather poses either a “high” (16%) or “moderate” (36%) risk to their community over the next 10 years. Fewer think extreme weather poses either a “low” risk (34%) or “no” risk (7%).
6.4. A majority of Americans are worried about harm from environmental problems in their local area.
Section 6.2 of this report outlines 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” their local area might be harmed by electricity power outages (74%), air pollution (73%), extreme heat (70%), water pollution (67%), droughts (63%), agricultural pests and diseases (63%), flooding (58%), water shortages (56%), tornados (56%), and wildfires (52%). Many Americans are also worried their local area might be harmed by hurricanes (39%), rising sea levels (38%), and reduced snow pack (37%).
