Report · Nov 18, 2021
Climate Change in the American Mind, September 2021
By Anthony Leiserowitz, Edward Maibach, Seth Rosenthal, John Kotcher, Jennifer Carman, Liz Neyens, Jennifer Marlon, Karine Lacroix and Matthew Goldberg
Filed under: Beliefs & Attitudes and Climate Impacts
3. Perceived Risks of Global Warming
3.1. About half of Americans say they have personally experienced the effects of global warming.
About half of Americans (52%) agree that they have personally experienced the effects of global warming, while 48% disagree. This is the first time since our surveys began in 2008 that the percentage who agree that they have personally experienced the effects of global warming is equal to or greater than the percentage who disagree.
3.2. More than half of Americans think people in the U.S. are being harmed “right now” by global warming.
More than half of Americans (55%) think people in the U.S. are being harmed by global warming “right now,” the highest percentage since our surveys began in 2008, and the first time that percentage is higher than 50%.
3.3. Half of Americans think they will be harmed by global warming, but think others will be harmed more.
A majority of Americans understand that global warming will cause harm. Americans are most likely to think that plant and animal species (76%), future generations of people (74%), people in developing countries (71%), the world’s poor (70%), and people in the U.S. (68%) will be harmed “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” by global warming. Half or more think people in their community (57%), their family (55%), and they themselves (50%) will be harmed.
