Skepticism increases among Americans about climate change

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Skepticism increases among Americans about climate change. Only about one-third of Americans think climate scientists understand very well whether climate change is happening, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. And only about a quarter or less say climate scientists understand very well the effect climate change has on extreme weather, its causes and the best ways to address it.

Americans rate climate scientists’ understanding of aspects of climate change slightly lower than they did two years ago and the same or lower than in 2016.

The share of Americans who say climate scientists understand very well whether climate change is occurring decreased from 37% in 2021 to 32% this year.

Similarly, the share of Americans who say climate scientists understand the causes of climate change very well decreased slightly from 28% in 2021 to 24% today. And only 13% of Americans now say climate scientists understand very well the best ways to address climate change, down from 18% in 2021.

Analysis of recent scientific publications finds widespread agreement among climate scientists that human activity is the primary cause of climate change. The Center recently conducted in-depth interviews to better understand the views of adults who say climate change is not an urgent issue and are unconvinced human activity is its main cause.

How does climate change affect American society?

Climate change isn’t just creating new extreme weather events, it exacerbates the risks we see today: hurricanes are stronger, bigger, and slower; the frequency and severity of land-falling “atmospheric rivers” on the U.S. West Coast will increase; wildfires are larger, hotter, and burn longer.

How climate change is affecting the US economy?

Climate change impacts our economy, health, well-being, security, and quality of life. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the cost of climate and weather disasters in the United States last year totaled more than $165 billion—the third most costly year on record.

Newsom takes leadership on climate change laws and solidifying his candidacy for 2028