A new report from the Pew Research Center examines people's attitudes to climate change and how this translates into action. The report finds that while a majority of Americans believe that climate change is happening and that it is caused by human activity, there is a significant partisan divide on the issue. Republicans are much less likely than Democrats to believe that climate change is happening or that it is caused by human activity.
The report also finds that while a majority of Americans say they are worried about climate change, relatively few are taking action to reduce their own carbon footprint. For example, only about half of Americans say they recycle regularly, and only about a third say they have made changes to their lifestyle to reduce their energy consumption.
The report suggests that there is a gap between people's beliefs about climate change and their willingness to take action to address it. This gap may be due to a number of factors, including a lack of awareness of the specific actions that can be taken to reduce climate change, a lack of belief that individual actions can make a difference, or a lack of motivation to take action.
The report concludes that there is a need for more education and communication about climate change in order to close the gap between people's beliefs and their actions. This education and communication should focus on providing people with information about the specific actions they can take to reduce climate change, as well as on motivating them to take action.
Key Findings
* A majority of Americans (67%) believe that climate change is happening, and of those, a majority (63%) believe that it is caused by human activity.
* However, there is a significant partisan divide on the issue of climate change. Republicans are much less likely than Democrats to believe that climate change is happening or that it is caused by human activity.
* A majority of Americans (60%) say they are worried about climate change, but relatively few (31%) are taking action to reduce their own carbon footprint.
* The gap between people's beliefs about climate change and their willingness to take action may be due to a number of factors, including a lack of awareness of the specific actions that can be taken to reduce climate change, a lack of belief that individual actions can make a difference, or a lack of motivation to take action.
Recommendations
The report concludes that there is a need for more education and communication about climate change in order to close the gap between people's beliefs and their actions. This education and communication should focus on providing people with information about the specific actions they can take to reduce climate change, as well as on motivating them to take action.
