Public Resource
Poll: Do Democrats And Republicans Agree On Anything About Climate Change And Immigration?
Holly Fuong and Geoffrey Skelley. FiveThirtyEight
The American public underestimates how much it agrees about climate change. While most Americans recognize the human causes of climate change and support action on the issue, less than half believe that most Americans also recognize the human causes of climate change. Educating Americans that they are part of the majority in recognizing the reality of human-caused climate change could create a positive feedback loop on public opinion by making people more comfortable discussing the issue, establishing climate awareness as a societal norm, and providing a permission structure for people who don’t feel that those around them care about the issue. The majority of Americans (63%) recognize that climate change is “entirely” or “mostly” caused by humans. 70% of Americans recognize that climate change is currently affecting the weather worldwide. 60% of Americans recognize that climate change is currently affecting the weather in their area. By a 65%-20% margin, Americans support tax credits for corporations that reduce carbon emissions. By a 64%-23% margin, Americans support increased government regulation on corporations’ carbon emissions.