Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

A.4. Personal and Social Engagement with Global Warming

A.4.1. About half of Latinos discuss global warming with family and friends “often” or “occasionally.”

Nearly half of Latinos (48%) say they discuss global warming with family and friends at least occasionally, while more (52%) say they rarely or never discuss it. A majority of Spanish-language Latinos (58%) say they discuss global warming with family and friends at least occasionally.

By contrast, two in three non-Latinos (67%) and six in ten English-language Latinos (60%) say they “rarely” or “never” discuss global warming with family and friends.

A.4.2. Fewer than half of Latinos hear about global warming in the media at least once a month.

Only about four in ten Latinos (41%) hear about global warming in the media once a month or more frequently. About the same number of non-Latinos (44%) hear about global warming in the media once a month or more. Spanish-language Latinos (36%) are less likely to hear about global warming in the media at least once a month.

A.4.3. About One in Five Latinos hear about global warming from people they know at least once a month.

About one in five (22%) of Latinos hear about global warming from people they know at least once a month or more frequently. Slightly fewer non-Latinos (18%) hear about global warming from people they know at least once a month or more frequently.

A.4.4. Global warming is important to eight in ten Latinos.

A large majority of Latinos (83%) say that global warming is at least “somewhat” important to them. Nine in ten Spanish-language Latinos (90%) say global warming is important to them. Fewer than one in five (17%) say that global warming is “not too” or “not at all” important to them.

By contrast, fewer non-Latinos (62%) say global warming is at least “somewhat” important to them, while nearly four in ten (38%) say it is “not too” or “not at all” important.

A.4.5. A majority of Latinos “strongly agree” schools should teach children about global warming.

The Next Generation Science Standards[1] for K-12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in the U.S. The Next Generation Science Standards were developed by a collaboration of scientists and educators at the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences; the American Academy for the Advancement of Science; the National Teacher’s Association; 26 states; and Achieve (a non-profit organization). Released in 2013, the standards represent the most current, research-based method of educating K-12 students in STEM and preparing them for STEM careers. See: http://www.nextgenscience.org/ require that climate change be included in the curriculum, a mandate that is controversial in some parts of the country.

A large majority of Latinos (85%), however, support teaching about global warming in schools, including more than half (57%) who “strongly agree” that schools should teach children about the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to global warming. More than two in three Spanish-language Latinos (68%) strongly agree that schools should teach children about global warming.