Survey Data Shows Americans are Concerned About Climate Change
Although climate change is often portrayed as a polarizing issue, it is a significant concern for Americans, according to a Research!America survey. Well over half of those surveyed said that climate change is already harming their own health, and similar numbers believe climate change is harming the health of others in their household, of Americans in general, and of people around the world. Two-thirds believe climate change will harm their own health “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” in the next 10 years, and only 14% said they believed climate change would not harm their health or the health of their household at all in the next 10 years.
Multiple systems, including public health systems, will need to come together to address the threat of climate change. Leading public health organizations have established and discussed the ways in which climate change and public health are intertwined. As the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication has stated, “Strong public demand increases the likelihood that governments will prioritize climate change action.”
Check out our Public Opinion Polls page to see the full results from the survey.