Darksyde’s March 3rd “This week in science” post included a reference to the Yale Climate Opinion Maps which are worth a little time and can be found here.
The maps show what you would expect. Larger percentages of the population in urban areas believe global warming is happening. Smaller percentages in rural areas. There is a Latino effect (which I heard about on NPR). As a group, Hispanics take climate change seriously and it shows on the maps.
The maps can viewed by state, county or congressional district. I found the congressional district view to be the most interesting because it turns out there is not a single congressional district where the majority believes global warming isn’t happening. Or, to restate without the double negative, (which will make my sister the English teacher happy), a majority in every congressional district in the United States believe climate change is happening.
This means different things to different people. To me it means I haven’t entirely wasted the last 15 years of my life (I am a science teacher). To a climate change denier, it means he is losing or perhaps has lost the battle for American public opinion. To anyone interested in electing more and better Democrats it means that every public statement by a current Republican politician denying the reality of global warming is a statement ripe for use in an attack ad. And while viable attacks on an opponent shouldn’t be enough to get elected, they are nice arrows to have in the quiver. And for those who argue that a certain swath of the electorate is unreachable this is data to the contrary (which is not to say persuading a particular portion of the electorate of anything in particular is an efficient use of resources. I am just saying it can be done because it is being done...).
The researchers did not just ask one question. Here are some of the others.
Prompt: Global warming Is caused mostly by humans?
53% of Americans respond yes, but there are many congressional districts where a majority disagree. That means I still have some work to do...although to do it either I have to move or my evangelists (I mean students) need to speak up more in certain parts of the country.
Prompt: Worried about global warming?
58% of Americans are worried or very worried.
Prompt: Global warming will harm people in the US?
58% of Americans think so — either a great or moderate amount.
Prompt: Regulate CO2 as a pollutant?
75% of Americans support doing so including a majority of every congressional district in the USA.
Prompt: Set strict CO2 limits on existing coal fired power plants
69% of Americans support doing so including a majority of every congressional district in the USA.
The maps are great and I hope you have a little time to take a look. American beliefs about climate change have changed slowly. My pessimistic side believes too slowly. Still the beliefs are changing and for the better. I hope Yale’s climate opinion maps can be a useful tool for you politically and personally as a source of hope for our species.