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Sunday, August 13th, 2023

What the data says about Americans’ views of climate change

Author:     ALEC TYSON, CARY FUNK and BRIAN KENNEDY
Source:     Pew Research Center
Publication Date:     AUGUST 9, 2023
 Link: What the data says about Americans’ views of climate change
Stephan:  

This is the best quality research I have seen on American attitudes about climate change and transitioning out of the carbon energy era. Once again it confirms what I have been telling you. About a third of Americans seem to be incapable of learning or persist in maintaining willful ignorance when it comes to comprehending what human-mediated climate change is doing to the earth’s matrix of life. And, no surprise, this third is made up mostly of older MAGAts. Younger people, even Republican younger people clearly understand the issues far better than their parents.

A bar chart showing that two-thirds of Americans prioritize developing alternative energy sources, like wind and solar.

A recent report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has underscored the need for international action to avoid increasingly severe climate impacts in the years to come. Steps outlined in the report, and by climate experts, include major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from sectors such as energy production and transportation.

But how do Americans feel about climate change, and what steps do they think the United States should take to address it? Here are eight charts that illustrate Americans’ views on the issue, based on recent Pew Research Center surveys.

How we did this

A majority of Americans support prioritizing the development of renewable energy sources. Two-thirds of U.S. adults say the country should prioritize developing renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, over expanding the production of oil, coal and natural gas, according to a survey conducted in June 2023.

In a previous Center survey conducted in 2022, nearly the same share of Americans (69%) favored the U.S. taking steps to become carbon neutral by 2050, a goal outlined by President Joe Biden at the outset of his […]

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