---
title: "Do Americans Know Where Scientists Stand on Global Warming?"
description: "While 84% of scientists say the earth is warming as a result of human activity, just 56% of Americans say scientists generally agree on the issue."
date: "2009-12-08"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2009/12/08/do-americans-know-where-scientists-stand-on-global-warming/"
categories:
  - "Scientists' Views"
---

# Do Americans Know Where Scientists Stand on Global Warming?

An overwhelming number of scientists (84%) say the earth is warming because of human activity, while just 4% of scientists say there is no solid evidence the earth is warming. Yet only 56% of Americans say that scientists agree that global warming is real and man-made. More than a third (35%) say scientists have not reached a consensus on climate change. The public’s perception of where the scientific community stands on climate change is tied to their own opinions on the issue. In a July Pew Research survey, about half the public (49%) said human activity is creating global warming. (It should be noted that an [October Pew Research survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1386/cap-and-trade-global-warming-opinion) found far fewer Americans seeing solid evidence that humans are causing global warming.) Among this group, three-quarters (76%) said that scientists have reached a consensus on climate change and its cause. Among the 36% of Americans who said global warming is real but due to natural causes just 41% said there was a scientific consensus on the issue. And among those who said there is no evidence of climate change (11% of the public) a strong majority (68%) said there is no agreement among scientists on global warming. About one-in-five global warming skeptics (22%) say there is scientific agreement that human activity is causing climate change. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1276/science-survey)