Interview dates: May 14, 2010 to June 1, 2010 Interviews: 1,024 Adults (18+) Margin of error: +/-... more Interview dates: May 14, 2010 to June 1, 2010 Interviews: 1,024 Adults (18+) Margin of error: +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level for the full sample. ... School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University ... School of Forestry and Environmental ...
Interviews: 1,024 Adults (18+) Margin of error: +/-3 percentage points at the 95% confidence leve... more Interviews: 1,024 Adults (18+) Margin of error: +/-3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. NOTE: All results show percentages among all respondents, unless otherwise labeled. Totals may occasionally sum to more than 100 percent due to rounding.
A grant titled “Making the Global Local: Unusual weather events as climate change education oppor... more A grant titled “Making the Global Local: Unusual weather events as climate change education opportunities" – one of 15 climate change education initiatives funded by the NSF Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) program – was awarded to George Mason University and partners to support broadcast meteorologists (hereafter referred to as “weathercasters”) in their efforts to better communicate with the public on issues related to the changing climate. Among the most trusted and familiar sources of informal science education for most Americans (Leiserowitz et al, 2011), weathercasters are optimally positioned to help enhance public understanding of climate change, including how it is influencing local and regional weather patterns across the United States.
• A large majority of Americans (87%, down 5 percentage points since Fall 2012) say the president... more • A large majority of Americans (87%, down 5 percentage points since Fall 2012) say the president and the Congress should make developing sources of clean energy a “very high” (26%), “high” (32%), or medium priority (28%). Few say it should be a low priority (12%). • Moreover, most Americans (70%, down 7 points since Fall 2012) say global warming should be a “very high” (16%), “high” (26%), or “medium priority” (29%) for the president and Congress. Three in ten (28%) say it should be a low priority. • Six in ten Americans (59%) say the U.S. should reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions regardless of what other countries do. Relatively few (10%) say the U.S. should reduce its emissions only if other industrialized and/or developing countries do – and only 6 percent of Americans say the U.S. should not reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. • Americans say that corporations and industry (70%), citizens themselves (63%), the U.S. Congress (57%), and the President (52%) should be doing more to address global warming. • Majorities of Americans support: Providing tax rebates for people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels (71%) Funding more research into renewable energy sources (70%); Regulating CO2 as a pollutant (68%) Requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a carbon tax and using the money to pay down the national debt (61%) Eliminating all subsidies for the fossil-fuel industry (59%) Expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast (58%) Requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20% of their electricity from renewable energy sources, even if it costs the average household an extra $100 a year (55%). • Support for some of these policies, however, has fallen over the past few years. • Half of Americans (50%) have never heard of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport crude oil from the Canada tar sands to Texas. Moreover, few Americans say they are following the issue closely (18%). However, among those Americans who have heard of the Keystone pipeline, about two in three support the project (63%). • Asked their level of support for a “revenue neutral tax swap that would reduce the annual taxes paid by all Americans while increasing the amount they pay annually for energy (such as gasoline and electricity) by the same total amount,” fewer than half of Americans say they would support the tax if the money raised from the tax were used to: reduce the federal income tax (45%); reduce the federal payroll tax (44%); give a tax refund to every American household (43%). Public Support for Climate and Energy Policies in April 2013 6 • Democrats and Republicans are divided on the extent to which the president and Congress should address global warming and developing clean energy. While six in ten Democrats (59%) say global warming should be a “high” or “very high” priority for President Obama and Congress, far fewer Republicans agree (22%). However, about half of Republicans (52%) say it should be at least a “medium” level priority. • Similarly, when it comes to the president and Congress making the development of clean energy a priority, a majority of Democrats (69%) say it should be at least a “high” priority, whereas only 43 percent of Republicans agree. However, most Republicans say it should be at least a “medium” priority (81%). The majority of Independents say it should be a “high” or “very high” priority (61%).
This report examines the global warming beliefs, attitudes, risk perceptions, policy preferences,... more This report examines the global warming beliefs, attitudes, risk perceptions, policy preferences, and related moral values of three major groups of American Christians – Catholics, non-evangelical Protestants, and born again/evangelical Christians.1 It also investigates how different American Christians currently view Pope Francis and to what extent he is considered a trusted voice on the issue of global warming.
In March 2012 we conducted a nationally representative survey and found that a large majority of ... more In March 2012 we conducted a nationally representative survey and found that a large majority of Americans say they personally experienced an extreme weather event or natural disaster in the past year. A majority of Americans also say the weather in the United States is getting worse and many report that extreme weather in their own local area has become more frequent and damaging. Further, large majorities believe that global warming made a number of recent extreme weather events worse. Only about a third of Americans, however, have either a disaster emergency plan or an emergency supply kit in their homes.
While researchers typically have segmented audiences by demographic or behavioral characteristics... more While researchers typically have segmented audiences by demographic or behavioral characteristics, psychobehavioral segmentation schemes may be more useful for developing targeted health information and programs. Previous research described a four segment psychobehavioral segmentation scheme-and a 10-item screening instrument used to identify the segments-based predominantly on people's orientation to their health (active vs. passive) and their degree of independence in health care decision making (independent vs. dependent). This study builds on this prior research by assessing the screening instrument's validity with an independent dataset and exploring whether people with distinct psychobehavioral orientations have different disease prevention attitudes and preferences for receiving information in the primary care setting. Data come from 1,650 respondents to a national mail panel survey. Using the screening instrument, respondents were segmented into four groups-independent actives, doctor-dependent actives, independent passives, and doctor-dependent passives. Consistent with the earlier research, there were clear differences in health-related attitudes and behaviors among the four segments. Members of three segments appear quite receptive to receiving disease prevention information and assistance from professionals in the primary care setting. Our findings provide further indication that the screening instrument and corresponding segmentation strategy may offer a simple, effective tool for targeting and tailoring information and other health programming to the unique characteristics of distinct audience segments.
Communities are beginning planning efforts to consider adaptation strategies to build their resil... more Communities are beginning planning efforts to consider adaptation strategies to build their resilience (NRC, 2010), yet many lack the political capital or access to information and resources that would allow them to prepare for chronic flooding, catastrophic storm events, and losses of economically important natural resources. Frequently, it is underserved and underrepresented communities that lack these resources and are most vulnerable to the effects of changing environmental conditions (Douglas et al., 2011; Melillo, Richmond, & Yohe, 2014). Storm events are particularly devastating to socially vulnerable communities, even when controlling for infrastructure characteristics (Highfield, Peacock, & Zandt, 2014). Meeting the needs of high-risk/low-resource communities is one of the most critical challenges in achieving resilience nationally (NRC, 2010), but little tailored information exists to guide program development specifically for these contexts (NOAA, 2015). Moreover, our understanding of the conditions under which audiences are most likely to engage in successful decision-making to reduce vulnerabilities is still evolving (Webler, Tuler, Dow, Whitehead, & Kettle, 2014).
This 2014 survey on public perceptions of climate change in Maryland is a follow-up to a 2013 stu... more This 2014 survey on public perceptions of climate change in Maryland is a follow-up to a 2013 study conducted by George Mason University in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In 2014, we repeated some questions – such as about state residents’ certainty that climate change is happening, and their understanding of the level of scientific consensus – and added new ones, including Marylanders’ preferences for prioritizing climate change compared to other issues at the state level; and whether Marylanders thought that the cold 2013-2014 winter was, or was not, evidence for whether climate change is occurring. This report is one of four being released from the 2014 survey. The others highlight attitudes, behaviors and policy preferences on public health and climate change, energy, and climate adaptation and sea-level rise.
This report, the seventh on Global Warming’s Six Americas, focuses on the segments' under... more This report, the seventh on Global Warming’s Six Americas, focuses on the segments' understanding of the human health consequences of global warming, as recently described in the U.S. National Climate Assessment. Our findings indicate that even the segments most concerned about global warming have little understanding of its human health consequences. The limited awareness of global warming's health consequences strongly suggests a need for more public education on the topic.
This report extends and updates an ongoing program of research analyzing Americans’ interpretatio... more This report extends and updates an ongoing program of research analyzing Americans’ interpretations of and responses to climate change. The research segments the American public into six audiences that range along a spectrum of concern and issue engagement from the Alarmed, who are convinced of the reality and danger of climate change, and who are highly supportive of personal and political actions to mitigate the threat, to the Dismissive, who are equally convinced that climate change is not occurring and that no response should be made. The Six Americas are not very different demographically, but are dramatically different in their beliefs and actions, as well as their basic values and political orientations. The groups were first identified in a nationally representative survey conducted in the fall of 2008, and were re-assessed in January and June of 2010. The current report is the fourth in the series; in it we provide new insights into the informational needs of the six groups, their understanding of the health impacts of global warming, beliefs about current environmental impacts of global warming in the U.S., and support for local adaptation and mitigation policies.
For the past three years, we have been asking Marylanders questions about their preferences for t... more For the past three years, we have been asking Marylanders questions about their preferences for the state’s energy policies; their attitudes toward the energy sources they use in heating, cooling and powering their homes; and the actions they take to conserve energy at home and in their transportation choices. This year George Mason University partnered with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in fielding the survey. This report is one of three from the study; other reports highlight attitudes, behaviors and policy preferences on public health and climate change.
Interview dates: May 14, 2010 to June 1, 2010 Interviews: 1,024 Adults (18+) Margin of error: +/-... more Interview dates: May 14, 2010 to June 1, 2010 Interviews: 1,024 Adults (18+) Margin of error: +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level for the full sample. ... School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University ... School of Forestry and Environmental ...
Interviews: 1,024 Adults (18+) Margin of error: +/-3 percentage points at the 95% confidence leve... more Interviews: 1,024 Adults (18+) Margin of error: +/-3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. NOTE: All results show percentages among all respondents, unless otherwise labeled. Totals may occasionally sum to more than 100 percent due to rounding.
A grant titled “Making the Global Local: Unusual weather events as climate change education oppor... more A grant titled “Making the Global Local: Unusual weather events as climate change education opportunities" – one of 15 climate change education initiatives funded by the NSF Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) program – was awarded to George Mason University and partners to support broadcast meteorologists (hereafter referred to as “weathercasters”) in their efforts to better communicate with the public on issues related to the changing climate. Among the most trusted and familiar sources of informal science education for most Americans (Leiserowitz et al, 2011), weathercasters are optimally positioned to help enhance public understanding of climate change, including how it is influencing local and regional weather patterns across the United States.
• A large majority of Americans (87%, down 5 percentage points since Fall 2012) say the president... more • A large majority of Americans (87%, down 5 percentage points since Fall 2012) say the president and the Congress should make developing sources of clean energy a “very high” (26%), “high” (32%), or medium priority (28%). Few say it should be a low priority (12%). • Moreover, most Americans (70%, down 7 points since Fall 2012) say global warming should be a “very high” (16%), “high” (26%), or “medium priority” (29%) for the president and Congress. Three in ten (28%) say it should be a low priority. • Six in ten Americans (59%) say the U.S. should reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions regardless of what other countries do. Relatively few (10%) say the U.S. should reduce its emissions only if other industrialized and/or developing countries do – and only 6 percent of Americans say the U.S. should not reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. • Americans say that corporations and industry (70%), citizens themselves (63%), the U.S. Congress (57%), and the President (52%) should be doing more to address global warming. • Majorities of Americans support: Providing tax rebates for people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels (71%) Funding more research into renewable energy sources (70%); Regulating CO2 as a pollutant (68%) Requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a carbon tax and using the money to pay down the national debt (61%) Eliminating all subsidies for the fossil-fuel industry (59%) Expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast (58%) Requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20% of their electricity from renewable energy sources, even if it costs the average household an extra $100 a year (55%). • Support for some of these policies, however, has fallen over the past few years. • Half of Americans (50%) have never heard of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport crude oil from the Canada tar sands to Texas. Moreover, few Americans say they are following the issue closely (18%). However, among those Americans who have heard of the Keystone pipeline, about two in three support the project (63%). • Asked their level of support for a “revenue neutral tax swap that would reduce the annual taxes paid by all Americans while increasing the amount they pay annually for energy (such as gasoline and electricity) by the same total amount,” fewer than half of Americans say they would support the tax if the money raised from the tax were used to: reduce the federal income tax (45%); reduce the federal payroll tax (44%); give a tax refund to every American household (43%). Public Support for Climate and Energy Policies in April 2013 6 • Democrats and Republicans are divided on the extent to which the president and Congress should address global warming and developing clean energy. While six in ten Democrats (59%) say global warming should be a “high” or “very high” priority for President Obama and Congress, far fewer Republicans agree (22%). However, about half of Republicans (52%) say it should be at least a “medium” level priority. • Similarly, when it comes to the president and Congress making the development of clean energy a priority, a majority of Democrats (69%) say it should be at least a “high” priority, whereas only 43 percent of Republicans agree. However, most Republicans say it should be at least a “medium” priority (81%). The majority of Independents say it should be a “high” or “very high” priority (61%).
This report examines the global warming beliefs, attitudes, risk perceptions, policy preferences,... more This report examines the global warming beliefs, attitudes, risk perceptions, policy preferences, and related moral values of three major groups of American Christians – Catholics, non-evangelical Protestants, and born again/evangelical Christians.1 It also investigates how different American Christians currently view Pope Francis and to what extent he is considered a trusted voice on the issue of global warming.
In March 2012 we conducted a nationally representative survey and found that a large majority of ... more In March 2012 we conducted a nationally representative survey and found that a large majority of Americans say they personally experienced an extreme weather event or natural disaster in the past year. A majority of Americans also say the weather in the United States is getting worse and many report that extreme weather in their own local area has become more frequent and damaging. Further, large majorities believe that global warming made a number of recent extreme weather events worse. Only about a third of Americans, however, have either a disaster emergency plan or an emergency supply kit in their homes.
While researchers typically have segmented audiences by demographic or behavioral characteristics... more While researchers typically have segmented audiences by demographic or behavioral characteristics, psychobehavioral segmentation schemes may be more useful for developing targeted health information and programs. Previous research described a four segment psychobehavioral segmentation scheme-and a 10-item screening instrument used to identify the segments-based predominantly on people's orientation to their health (active vs. passive) and their degree of independence in health care decision making (independent vs. dependent). This study builds on this prior research by assessing the screening instrument's validity with an independent dataset and exploring whether people with distinct psychobehavioral orientations have different disease prevention attitudes and preferences for receiving information in the primary care setting. Data come from 1,650 respondents to a national mail panel survey. Using the screening instrument, respondents were segmented into four groups-independent actives, doctor-dependent actives, independent passives, and doctor-dependent passives. Consistent with the earlier research, there were clear differences in health-related attitudes and behaviors among the four segments. Members of three segments appear quite receptive to receiving disease prevention information and assistance from professionals in the primary care setting. Our findings provide further indication that the screening instrument and corresponding segmentation strategy may offer a simple, effective tool for targeting and tailoring information and other health programming to the unique characteristics of distinct audience segments.
Communities are beginning planning efforts to consider adaptation strategies to build their resil... more Communities are beginning planning efforts to consider adaptation strategies to build their resilience (NRC, 2010), yet many lack the political capital or access to information and resources that would allow them to prepare for chronic flooding, catastrophic storm events, and losses of economically important natural resources. Frequently, it is underserved and underrepresented communities that lack these resources and are most vulnerable to the effects of changing environmental conditions (Douglas et al., 2011; Melillo, Richmond, & Yohe, 2014). Storm events are particularly devastating to socially vulnerable communities, even when controlling for infrastructure characteristics (Highfield, Peacock, & Zandt, 2014). Meeting the needs of high-risk/low-resource communities is one of the most critical challenges in achieving resilience nationally (NRC, 2010), but little tailored information exists to guide program development specifically for these contexts (NOAA, 2015). Moreover, our understanding of the conditions under which audiences are most likely to engage in successful decision-making to reduce vulnerabilities is still evolving (Webler, Tuler, Dow, Whitehead, & Kettle, 2014).
This 2014 survey on public perceptions of climate change in Maryland is a follow-up to a 2013 stu... more This 2014 survey on public perceptions of climate change in Maryland is a follow-up to a 2013 study conducted by George Mason University in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In 2014, we repeated some questions – such as about state residents’ certainty that climate change is happening, and their understanding of the level of scientific consensus – and added new ones, including Marylanders’ preferences for prioritizing climate change compared to other issues at the state level; and whether Marylanders thought that the cold 2013-2014 winter was, or was not, evidence for whether climate change is occurring. This report is one of four being released from the 2014 survey. The others highlight attitudes, behaviors and policy preferences on public health and climate change, energy, and climate adaptation and sea-level rise.
This report, the seventh on Global Warming’s Six Americas, focuses on the segments' under... more This report, the seventh on Global Warming’s Six Americas, focuses on the segments' understanding of the human health consequences of global warming, as recently described in the U.S. National Climate Assessment. Our findings indicate that even the segments most concerned about global warming have little understanding of its human health consequences. The limited awareness of global warming's health consequences strongly suggests a need for more public education on the topic.
This report extends and updates an ongoing program of research analyzing Americans’ interpretatio... more This report extends and updates an ongoing program of research analyzing Americans’ interpretations of and responses to climate change. The research segments the American public into six audiences that range along a spectrum of concern and issue engagement from the Alarmed, who are convinced of the reality and danger of climate change, and who are highly supportive of personal and political actions to mitigate the threat, to the Dismissive, who are equally convinced that climate change is not occurring and that no response should be made. The Six Americas are not very different demographically, but are dramatically different in their beliefs and actions, as well as their basic values and political orientations. The groups were first identified in a nationally representative survey conducted in the fall of 2008, and were re-assessed in January and June of 2010. The current report is the fourth in the series; in it we provide new insights into the informational needs of the six groups, their understanding of the health impacts of global warming, beliefs about current environmental impacts of global warming in the U.S., and support for local adaptation and mitigation policies.
For the past three years, we have been asking Marylanders questions about their preferences for t... more For the past three years, we have been asking Marylanders questions about their preferences for the state’s energy policies; their attitudes toward the energy sources they use in heating, cooling and powering their homes; and the actions they take to conserve energy at home and in their transportation choices. This year George Mason University partnered with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in fielding the survey. This report is one of three from the study; other reports highlight attitudes, behaviors and policy preferences on public health and climate change.
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