Despite experiencing the hottest months in recorded human history, and despite the warnings from scientists that our species is living on “borrowed time,” a recent poll has revealed a significant decline in the number of people who consider climate change to be an urgent matter.
According to the most recent survey conducted by Monmouth University, less than half (46%) of the American population views global warming as a highly significant issue. Although this percentage is higher than it was nine years ago (41% in 2015), it is lower than more recent polls, which indicated that over half of Americans (54% in 2018 and 56% in 2021) considered it a pressing concern. The level of concern regarding the urgency of addressing climate change, specifically categorizing it as “very serious,” has decreased across all political affiliations. Among Democrats, this concern has dropped from 85% to 77% since 2021, among Republicans it has declined from 21% to 13%, and among independents, it has decreased from 56% to 43%. Presently, voters are primarily focused on issues such as inflation, immigration, and reproductive rights.
According to recent surveys, the majority of Americans continue to recognize the reality of climate change and its link to our reliance on fossil fuels. In fact, nearly three out of four Americans (73%) acknowledge that the world’s climate is changing in ways that lead to more extreme weather events and rising sea levels. This percentage is consistent with previous surveys conducted in 2015 (70%), 2018 (78%), and 2021 (76%). Interestingly, a study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters in 2021 revealed that over 99% of scientists also acknowledge climate change as both real and human-induced.
The widespread dissemination of misinformation on social media is one reason why there is a lack of public sense of urgency about climate change. This misinformation includes both science denialism and downplaying the seriousness of the ongoing problem.
According to Dr. Michael E. Mann, a climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, social media platforms have been plagued by the presence of bot armies that have been actively spreading misinformation about climate change and environmental sustainability for several years.