Report · Nov 19, 2015
Climate Change in the American Mind: October 2015
By Anthony Leiserowitz, Edward Maibach, Connie Roser-Renouf, Geoff Feinberg and Seth Rosenthal
Filed under: Beliefs & Attitudes
7. The Ethical Dimensions of Global Warming
7.1. Majorities of Americans Think Global Warming Is a Major Environmental, Scientific, and/or Agricultural Issue.
Global warming is a complex challenge to humanity with many dimensions. Understanding how people conceptualize the issue is critical to formulating effective communication strategies. To better understand how Americans think about global warming, we asked respondents to indicate what kind of issue, if any, they consider it to be: environmental, scientific, economic, health, moral, religious, etc. For each category of the issue they selected, we then asked if they consider it to be a major or minor issue.
Majorities of Americans say global warming is a major environmental (69%), scientific (62%), or agricultural issue (56%). About half consider it a major health (49%) or economic issue (47%).
Fewer currently consider it to be a major moral (24%), poverty (17%), social justice (17%), national security (14%), spiritual (8%), or religious issue (7%).
7.2. More Than Half of Americans Think That if the U.S. Takes Steps to Reduce Global Warming, it Will Provide a Better Life for Our Children and Grandchildren, Improve People’s Health, and Save Many Plant and Animal Species From Extinction.
Generally, Americans are more likely to think that taking action to reduce global warming will provide benefits than it will drawbacks, with majorities agreeing strongly or moderately that if the U.S. takes action, it will:
- Provide a better life for our children and grandchildren (63%)
- Improve people’s health (58%)
- Save many plant and animal species from extinction (56%)
Others believe taking action will:
- Protect God’s creation (45%)
- Save many people around the world from poverty and starvation (29%)
Relatively few agree taking action will have negative consequences, such as costing jobs and harming our economy (26%), interfering with the free market (24%), or harming poor people more than it helps them (19%). Half, however, agree that it would cause energy prices to rise (51%).
