Reports

Climate Change in the American Mind Series, June 2010

In June and July 2010, we released four reports based on nationally representative survey of 1,024 American adults conducted between May 14th and June 1st, 2010. 

Supplemental figures illustrating policy support among the Six Americas can be downloaded here.

We also released the final report from our June 2010 survey entitled "Americans' Actions to Conserve Energy, Reduce Waste, and Limit Global Warming: June 2010." This updates the report we released in January. Overall, we find little change in Americans' climate and energy behaviors. We continue to find a substantial attitude-behavior gap for many behaviors, suggesting that there is a lot of untapped potential for behavior change programs. This report can be downloaded here.

Climate Change in the American Mind: the Americans’ Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes in June 2010.

Climate Change in the American Mind: Public Support for Climate & Energy Policies in June 2010.

 Read the press release for the last two reports here.

Climategate, Public Opinion, and the Loss of Trust

This working paper examines the impact of Climategate on public perceptions of climate change and climate scientists, drawing on our national survey conducted in December, 2009 and January, 2010. In brief, we found that Climategate had a significant negative effect on public beliefs in global warming and trust in scientists. The loss of trust in scientists, however, appears to have been primarily among individuals with a strongly individualistic worldview or politically conservative ideology. Nonetheless, we found that Americans overall continued to trust scientists more than any other source of information about global warming. You can download the working paper here.

Climate Change Survey of TV News Directors

Television news directors are a critically important "gatekeeper" of climate change information in that more Americans get their news from TV - especially local TV news - than from any other news source, and news directors make the decision as to which stories will run, and how the issue will be covered. Our most recent report -- based on a national survey of TV news directors -- presents the first-ever findings about how these important news gatekeepers think about the issue of climate change. You may download the report by clicking here.

America’s TV Weathercasters as Informal Climate Change Educators

Our surveys of the public have shown that many Americans are looking to their local TV weathercasters for information about global warming.  With funding from the National Science Foundation, we have been conducting research with America’s TV weathercasters to assess the extent to which they provide their viewers with information about climate change.  Today, we are releasing preliminary findings from the largest and most representative survey of TV weathercasters conducted to date.  Our findings confirm that TV weathercasters play – or can play – an important role as informal climate change educators.  If you are interested in learning more about these findings, you can download the report here. Download the press release here.

The Climate Change Generation? Survey Analysis of the Perceptions and Beliefs of Young Americans

This report reveals that Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 are, for the most part, split on the issue of global warming and, on some indicators, relatively disengaged when compared to older generations. We invite you to dowload and read the full report.

Global Warming's "Six Americas", January 2010

This report is an update to our Global Warming's Six Americas research.  Since our last report, the Alarmed segment has contracted considerably, and the Dismissive segment has more than doubled in size.  We invite you to download and read the full report and press release.

The Climate Change in the American Mind Series, January 2010

Americans' Action to Conserve Energy, Reduce Waste, and Limit Global Warming, January 2010.

Based on a nationally representative survey of 1,001 American adults conducted in late December and early January 2010, this report updates and extends last year’s report titled Saving Energy at Home and on the Road. We invite you to download and read the full report.

Click here to download the press release.

Climate Change in the American Mind: Public Support for Climate and Energy Policies in January 2010.

Based on a nationally representative survey of 1,001 American adults conducted in late December and early January 2010, this report updates and extends last year’s report of the same name. In brief, we found that public support for a variety of climate and energy policies remains strong, despite reduced public concern about global warming. We invite you to download and read the full report.

Click here to download the press release.

Climate Change in the American Mind: Americans' Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes in January 2010.

Based on a nationally representative survey of 1,001 American adults conducted in late December and early January 2010, this report updates and extends last year’s report of the same name. In brief, we found that public concern about global warming, and public trust in a range of information sources, has dropped sharply over the past year. We invite you to download and read the full report.

Click here to download the press release.

Saving Energy is a Value Shared by All Americans     

This is a chapter from Karen Ehrhardt-Martinez's forthcoming edited book titled: Human Resources for Climate Solutions: Energy Smart Behaviors, People Centered Policies, and Public Engagement.

Global Warming's Six Americas 2009

Based on a nationally representative survey of 2,164 American adults conducted last fall, this report updates and significantly extends our earlier report titled Global Warming's Six Americas. In this report, we identify and profile six distinct groups of Americans based on their climate change beliefs, attitudes, risk perceptions, policy preferences, behaviors, barriers to action, motivations, and values. We invite you to download and read the full report and the Yale/Mason Six Americas 2009 Questionnaire.

Climate Change in the American Mind

Released in March 2009, Climate Change in the American Mind: Americans' Climate Change Beliefs, Attitudes, Policy Preferences, and Actions is based on a nationally representative survey of 2,164 American adults conducted in October 2008. This broad and a deep examination of how Americans are dealing with the issue of global warming yielded an important new perspective. On the whole, the American mind appears to be open to embracing a concerted national effort to address climate change.

Saving Energy at Home and On the Road  

Saving nergy at home and on the road: A survey of Americans' energy saving behaviors, intentions, motivations, and barriers is based on a nationally representative survey of over 2,000 Americans. Reducing energy use – including helping American families become more energy-efficient in their homes and travels – is currently near the top of the agenda at every level of government. This report provides an audience-centric perspective on those issues.

Global Warming's Six Americas 2008

Mason and Yale 4C researchers released a groundbreaking audience segmentation analysis titled Global Warming's Six Americas at a November 18th briefing of over 200 entertainment industry writers, directors and producers in Los Angeles. 

Summary Report: A Meeting to Assess Public Attitudes about Climate Change. (April 2008) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, George Mason University Center For Climate Change Communication.

This report brings the perspectives of researchers and climate change communicators together in an informal assessment of the state of current knowledge about public and policymaker attitudes and recommendations for future research.

Are we ready?: Preparing for the public health challenges of climate change. (March 2008) National Association of City and County Health Officials, Environmental Defense Fund & George Mason University.

While almost 80% of public health department leaders believe that climate change will impact the health of people in their jurisdictions over the next few decades, few have yet been able to make it a top priority, according to a new national survey co-sponsored by the Center for Climate Change Communication. Click here for the report.

What are Americans thinking and doing about global warming? The results of a national household survey, (Jan. 2008) Porter Novelli & George Mason University

Republicans and Democrats may be far apart on the politics of climate change, but when it comes to employing behaviors that actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they aren't so far apart, a recent Porter Novelli-George Mason University survey found. Click here for the report.

Journal Articles

Zhao X, Leiserowitz A, Maibach E, Roser-Renouf C. (in press) Attention to Science/Environment News Positively Predicts and Attention to Political News Negatively Predicts Global Warming Risk Perceptions and Policy Support. Journal of Communication.

Akerlof, K., DeBono R., Berry P., Leiserowitz A., Roser-Renouf C., Clarke K.-L., Rogaeva A., Nisbet M.C., Weathers M.R., Maibach E.W. (2010). Public Perceptions of Climate Change as a Human Health Risk: Surveys of the United States, Canada and Malta.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(6):2559-2606. Retrieve here.

Maibach, E.W., Nisbet M.C., Baldwin, P., Akerlof, K.,Diao, G. (2010). Reframing climate change as a public health issue: An exploratory study of public reactions. BMC Public Health, 10 (299). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-299. Retrieve here.

Jun, J. (2010). How climate change organizations utilize websites for public relations. National Communication Association annual conference, San Francisco.

Jun, J. (2010). How Korean newspapers construct climate change information : Examining Asian perceptions and communication on climate change risk. National Communication Association annual conference, San Francisco.

Weathers, M., Jun, J., & Walsch, D. (2010). Informal opinion leaders as a climate change public engagement strategy: An analysis of The Climate Project. National Communication Association annual conference, San Francisco.

Villagran, M. M., Weathers, M. R., Keefe, B., & Sparks, L. (2010). Medical providers as global warming and climate change (GWCC) health educators: A health literacy approach. Communication Education, 59 (3). doi:10.1080/03634521003624049. Retrieve here.

Farnsworth, S. J., and Lichter, S.R. (2009). The structure of evolving U.S. scientific opinion on climate change and its potential consequences. American Political Science Association, Toronto, Canada. September 2009.

Soroka, S., Farnsworth, S. J., Young, L., & Lawlor, A. (2009). Environment and energy policy: Comparing reports from U.S. and Canadian network news.  American Political Science Association, Toronto, Canada. September 2009

Maibach, E., Steg, L., & Anable, J. (2009) Promoting physical activity and reducing climate change: Opportunities to replace short car trips with active transportation. Preventive Medicine, 49(4), 326-327. Retrieve here.

Zhao, X. (2009). Media use and global warming perceptions: A snapshot of the reinforcing spirals. Communication Research, 36(5), 698-723. Retrieve here.

Maibach, E., & Hornig Priest, S. (2009). No more "Business as Usual": Addressing climate change through constructive engagement. Science Communication, 30(3), 299-304. Retrieve here.

Nisbet, M. C., & Kotcher, J. E. (2009). A two-step flow of influence?: Opinion-leader campaigns on climate change. Science Communication, 30(3), 328-354. Retrieve here.

Bowman, T., Maibach, E., Mann, M., Moser, S., & Somerville, R. (2009) Creating a common climate language. (Letter) Science, 324: 36-37. Retrieve here.

Nisbet, M. C. (2009) Communicating climate change: Why frames matter for public engagement. Environment, (March-April).

Maibach, E. (2009) This year in Copenhagen. (Editorial) International Journal of Sustainability Communication, 4, 1-4. Retrieve here.

Cai, X., Zhao, X., & Carey, G. (2009). Altruism and kid's perceptions of global warming. International Journal of Sustainability Communication, 4, 5-22. Retrieve here.

Brittle, C. & Muthuswamy, N. (2009). Scientific elites and concern for global warming: The impact of disagreement, evidence strength, partisan cues, and exposure to news content on concern for global warming. International Journal of Sustainability Communication, 4, 23-44. Retrieve here.

Maibach, E. W., Chadwick, A., McBride, D., Chuk, M. Ebi, K. L., et al. (2008). Climate change and local public health in the United States: Preparedness, programs and perceptions of local public health department directors. PLoS ONE, 3(7), e2838. Retrieve here.

Click here to read the complete list.

Presentations

Click here to download Global Warming - Why Health Professionals Care March 2010.