Environment

A majority of Americans have a positive overall view of environmental health scientists, though their opinions are more mixed when it comes to trust in them to do a good job, show concern for the community’s interest and provide fair and accurate information.

A majority of Americans express positive overall views of environmental research scientists, though their opinions are more mixed when it comes to confidence in them to do a good job, show concern for the public’s interest and provide fair and accurate information.

Since 2017, the share of Republicans who take a positive view of stricter environmental laws has increased, from 36% then to 45% today.

There were more than 14,000 certified organic farms in the United States in 2016, a 56% increase from 2011.

Majorities of Americans see at least some risk from food produced using hormones, antibiotics, pesticides or artificial ingredients; half the public says that foods with genetically modified ingredients are worse for one's health than foods without.

While there are many reasons that Americans get science news, the most common driver of attention to science news is curiosity, according to a 2017 Pew Research Center study. But people are also motivated to seek out science news for different reasons depending on the issues they care about most, with the environment being a prime example.

Americans support protecting the environment, but there are deep partisan divides. And they give other issues, like the economy or terrorism, greater priority.

A majority of U.S. adults say stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost, while roughly a third say such regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy.

The rules, practices and norms around recycling vary considerably from place to place – contributing to dramatically different local recycling levels and rates at which different materials are recovered.