For Earth Day 2020, how Americans see climate change and the environment in 7 charts
For Earth Day 2020, we take stock of public opinion in the United States about global climate change and the environment.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
For Earth Day 2020, we take stock of public opinion in the United States about global climate change and the environment.
44% of Americans have a great deal of confidence in the scientific community, while 47% have only some confidence and 7% have hardly any.
A majority of U.S. adults say they are taking at least some specific action in their daily lives to protect the environment, though Democrats and Republicans remain at ideological odds over the causes of climate change and the effects of policies to address it.
Large majorities value government investments in science and consider it important for the United States to be a world leader in scientific achievement, but few think the country is gaining ground globally.
A strong majority of the American public thinks of science as having a positive effect on society, and most expect continued benefits to accrue from science in the years ahead.
Here is a roundup of key takeaways from our studies of U.S. public opinion about science issues and their effect on society.
America’s confidence in the scientific community appears to be relatively strong. But the degree of public trust in scientists across climate, food and medical issues varies, and many express moderate rather than strongly positive views.
Where do Americans go to stay informed about science topics? Here are some key takeaways about Americans’ science news habits today.
People’s level of science knowledge helps to a degree to explain their beliefs about climate and energy issues, but it depends on their partisanship.
As public debates continue over a range of science-related topics, including climate change and the safety of eating genetically modified (GM) foods, Americans are largely skeptical about the degree to which scientists understand these two issues, whether there is scientific consensus on them, and the influences on scientists’ research. Recent Pew Research Center studies have […]
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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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