Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Overall, 77% of Americans say stricter building standards are a good idea for communities at high risk of extreme weather. And 64% think it is a good idea for government to provide financial assistance for people in these communities to rebuild in the wake of extreme weather events.
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Among Republicans, 56% think climate policies usually hurt the U.S. economy. By contrast, 52% of Democrats say they usually help.
Americans remain more likely to favor expanding solar power (78%) and wind power (72%) than nuclear power (56%).
Reports of extreme weather are common but vary by party. Most favor stricter building standards in high-risk areas but not building bans or forced relocations.
Americans’ views differ by age on whether measures like addressing climate change and preventing terrorist attacks should be top foreign policy priorities.
A majority favor U.S. efforts to become carbon neutral by 2050, but few express strong interest in buying EVs or reducing their own carbon emissions.
64% of Americans live within 2 miles of a public electric vehicle charging station, and those who live closest to chargers view EVs more positively.
Just 12% of Republicans and Republican leaners say dealing with climate change should be a top priority for the president and Congress.
A majority of Americans believe climate change is causing harm to people in the U.S. today and 63% expect things to get worse in their lifetime.
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.
As the Earth’s temperature continues to rise, climate change remains a lower priority for some Americans, and a subset of the public rejects that it’s happening at all. To better understand the perspectives of those who see less urgency to address climate change, the Center conducted a series of in-depth interviews designed to provide deeper insight into the motivations and views of those most skeptical about climate change.
