March 3, 2012 
Conducted every season, the latest Fall 2011 survey on American Public Opinion on Climate Change released by the Brookings Institute found that 62% Americans that believe “there is solid evidence that the average temperature on Earth has been getting warmer,” the highest percentage since fall 2009 (65%). Other highlights include: more Americans see warmer weather as an indication of climate change and the partisan divide on the issue is deep, which was also a key finding in ecoAmerica’s ACEVS research.
Belief in Global Warming on the Rebound: National Survey of American Public Opinion on Climate Change
Cross-post from Brookings
Christopher P. Borick, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion
Barry Rabe, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Governance Studies
As 2012 begins, a growing number of Americans believe global warming is occurring. This is one of the key findings from the latest National Survey of American Public Opinion on Climate Change (NSAPOCC).
Other highlights include:
- More Americans than ever are pointing to experiences with warmer temperatures as the main reason they believe global warming is occurring.
- For Americans who believe that climate change is occurring, factors beyond weather (such as: declining polar species) appear to be having the greatest effect on convincing an individual that the planet is warming.
- Nearly 80% of Democrats believe in global warming, while Republicans are almost evenly split with 47% seeing evidence of increasing global temperatures.
Praise the Lord. This is good news at last.
These are the questions we need answered (like in ecoAmerica’s ACEVS reports) – *what* is causing views to change? Thanks for sharing!