What It All Means

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Confused? Hopefully you're not, but if so, let's make some brief comparisons of the data. In all three areas, the majority of people do believe that climate change is happening. Of the three areas though, that belief seems to be most widespread in California. Over half of Californians say that if global warming is happening, it is caused mostly by human activities, while less than half of Texans say that global warming is caused mostly by human activities. In addition, over half of Californians and Texans indicate that they have personally experienced effects of global warming, while less than half of Ohioans say that they have. Finally, over half of Californians understand that most scientists believe in climate change; the other two area natives though, have been found to be more likely to say that scientists disagree about whether or not global warming is happening. Perhaps political/regional affiliation plays a role in these results, but I'd rather not step into that tangled web of confusion for now. 

Social scientists have found that public risk perceptions greatly affect the manner in which people respond to hazards. What people view as a risk, why they view it that way, and how they will then behave are all important questions for policy makers in their attempts to address climate change. Public perception is, therefore, a very important factor in actually addressing climate change, and understanding it is the first step. Thank you for reading; hopefully you walk away from this blog feeling a bit more informed about America's public opinion on climate change.

Public Opinions Statistics Throughout America: Texas

As of September 23, 2013, 70% of Texans believe that global warming is happening, while 14% do not. 44% of Texans (less than both the San Franciscans and the Ohioans), believe that if climate change is happening, it is due mostly to human activity; in fact, 31% believe global warming is caused by natural fluctuations in the environment. 52% of Texans say that they have personally experienced the effects of global warming. Of the Texans who believe in climate change, great majorities (like the San Franciscans and Ohioans) anticipate negative environmental effects throughout the next 50 years: 95% expect more heat waves, 92% anticipate drought and water shortages, 87% expect more severe storms and natural disasters, 86% think that the amount of fish and native wildlife will decline, and 85% predict increased allergies or other health problems due to climate change. Similar to San Franciscans and Ohioans, over half of Texans say that more should be done about global warming in the government and in day-to-day life.

- 62% want more action from Congress
- 57% want more action from President Obama
- 56% want more action from Texas's state legislature
- 60% want more action from local government
- 69% want more citizen involvement in addressing climate change
- 68% think that corporations and industry should be doing more to address climate change

Public Opinion Statistics Throughout America: San Francisco, CA

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As of October 9, 2013, the great majority of San Franciscans, 87% to be more specific, have indicated that they believe that climate change is happening, while only 5% have indicated that they do not believe it is happening. 67% of San Franciscans believe that, if global warming is happening, it is due mostly to human activities, and 69% acknowledge the widespread agreement between scientists about the existence of climate change. Of the 87% of San Franciscans who believe in climate change, an overwhelming majority predict widespread negative effects throughout the next 50 years: 91% expect more droughts and water shortages, 89% predict more heat waves and decreased amounts of fish and native wildlife, and 66% suspect that parts of San Francisco will have to be evacuated due to a rise in the sea level. Similar to the Ohioans, San Franciscans think that more action should be taken regarding climate change:

- 69% want more action from Congress
- 63% want more action from President Obama
- 66% want more action from California state legislators
- 63% want more action from local government
- 77% believe that the citizens of San Francisco should be more involved in addressing climate change
- 75% think that corporations should be doing more to address climate change

Finally, over half (58%) of San Franciscans think that transitioning to cleaner energy would be good for the local economy, especially regarding job growth.

Public Opinion Statistics Throughout America: Columbus, Ohio

As of October 16, 2013, about 70% of residents in Columbus, Ohio, believe that global warming is happening, while 18% do not. Around 49% believe that if, in fact, global warming is happening, it is being caused mostly by human activity. Of the 70% who believe that global warming is happening, 66% believe that global warming is having a significant impact on the severity of Columbus's heat waves, 51% believe that global warming is influencing droughts, and 50% believe it is influencing the flooding of rivers or lakes. Also, of the 70% who believe that climate change is happening, great majorities indicate that they expect to see a wide scope of negative effects from climate change within the next 50 years: about 91% predict more heat waves, 88% expect worse storms, increased allergies, infectious diseases, asthma, and other health problems, 84% believe that Columbus will see a decrease in the amount of fish and native wildlife, as well as increased droughts and water shortages, and 81% expect more power outages.

As far as addressing global warming, over half of Columbus natives believe that the government should be taking more action to help the cause:

- 61% want more action from Congress
- 57% want more action from Obama
- 57% want more action from state legislators and local officials
- 68% want more action from Columbus's corporations and industries
- 66% want to see more individual involvement in addressing climate change

In conclusion, Columbus residents, while aware of climate change, views it less as an immediate threat, and more as a distant one. For while 70% think that global warming will harm future generations of people, as well as animal and plant life, only 31% believe that climate change will harm them personally.

More Common Misconceptions...

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I stumbled across a very cool link with some more (as well as the first three) common misconceptions and the real facts that parallel them.

Here is the website: More Common Misconceptions

Now that I've finished covering misconceptions, I think it's time we move on to public opinion about climate change, looking at the effects these misconceptions have on people's beliefs.

Common Misconceptions

 

Climate change, at first glance, seems to be a confusing topic. Politics and personal opinions often take over in discussions about climate change, which often confuses the facts for the general public. So first, before discussing public opinion regarding climate change, I think we should debunk the common misconceptions about climate change. We'll start with three of the biggest ones:

Misconception #1
The hole in the ozone layer causes global warming by letting more radiation enter our atmosphere.

The Real Fact #1
Global warming is caused primarily by increased amounts of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. While the hole in the ozone layer does allow more radiation to enter the atmopshere, it is not a main cause of Earth's temperature increase.


Misconception #2
Because carbon dioxide constitutes such a small percentage of the total gases in our large atmosphere, we are not emitting enough carbon dioxide to make a significant temperature difference.

The Real Fact #2
Most of the gases in our atmosphere do not trap heat; greenhouse gases, though, like carbon dioxide, do trap heat. While carbon dioxide constitutes a small percentage of the total gases in the atmosphere, the way that they trap heat truly does add up to make a big effect.


Misconceptioin #3
Weather irregularities can be used as scientific evidence for or against climate change.

The Real Fact #3
Weather and climate are not the same thing; weather lasts a short period of time -- it is what is happening outside our four walls right now. Climate, on the other hand, can be described as the average weather for any given region. Regional climate characteristics therefore "give rise to" weather. Therefore, there is an association between weather and climate, including irregularities. Any certain weather event, though, cannot prove that climate change is happening. However, observations that average weather has changed for a region can be used as evidence for climate change.

That's all for right now; check back later for more!