Americans On Climate Change: Changing Their Opinion?

The erratic weather of late may finally be making an impact on Americans’ perception of humanity’s impact on the Earth. This poll, titled Extreme Weather, Climate & Preparedness in the American Mind, presents data that shows Americans seem to now link the unusually warm winter, last year’s heat wave, and other recent costly disasters with climate change.

Whether this will actually make a difference when it comes to politics and crafting legislation to move toward a more sustainable society is unknown. However, it seems that even Americans are realizing the effects that 7 billion people and our modern, fossil-fuel based society can have on the planet.

In this most detailed survey to date on the public response to weather extremes, the public says – by a 2-to-1 margin – that the weather has been getting worse in recent years.

Poll results below.

[Image, Chart]