Changes in Global Warming’s Six Americas: an analysis of repeat respondents

Megan Ayers (), Jennifer R. Marlon, Matthew T. Ballew, Edward W. Maibach, Seth A. Rosenthal, Connie Roser-Renouf and Anthony Leiserowitz
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Megan Ayers: Yale University
Jennifer R. Marlon: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Matthew T. Ballew: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Edward W. Maibach: George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication
Seth A. Rosenthal: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Connie Roser-Renouf: George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication
Anthony Leiserowitz: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

Climatic Change, 2024, vol. 177, issue 6, No 15, 21 pages

Abstract: Abstract Building public consensus about the threat of climate change is critical for enacting meaningful action to address it. To understand how Americans are changing their beliefs about climate change, research typically relies on cross-sectional survey responses. Data that is collected from the same individuals over time– panel data– provides clearer evidence about whether people’s beliefs are shifting. In this article, we investigate changes in climate beliefs among the American public using panel data from 2,135 survey respondents, analyzing opinion changes through the “Global Warming’s Six Americas” framework– an audience segmentation tool that identifies the people who are the most worried about global warming (the Alarmed) to the least worried (the Dismissive). Our findings indicate that many Americans are changing their minds about climate change and becoming more worried over time, and that these shifts correlate with changes in support for climate policy and behavioral engagement. However, these trends vary within key segments of the population and indicate that while climate communication may be shifting the beliefs of many, strategies for reaching particular audiences may need to be adapted.

Keywords: Climate change; Global warming; Public opinion; Climate communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s10584-024-03754-x

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