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Dear Friends,
We
are pleased to announce the
publication of our new article,
“Widening polarization in
Americans’ perception of the
health harms of climate change
(2014–2024)” in the journal Environmental
Research: Health.
Climate
change is increasingly harming
the health of people
worldwide. In the United
States, Americans are
experiencing many impacts,
including heat stroke due to
more frequent and intense heat
waves; higher rates of
respiratory diseases due to
air pollution; and increased
exposure to food-, vector-,
and water-borne diseases,
among many other health harms.
This study examines how
Americans’ understanding of
the health impacts of climate
change has changed using data
from our Climate Change
in the American Mind
surveys conducted in 2014 (n=1,275),
2018 (n=1,114), and
2024 (n=1,013).
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Key Findings
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Americans’
awareness of
climate change as
a health issue has
increased since
2014, including
greater
recognition of its
impacts on
respiratory
health, heat
stroke,
pollen-related
allergies, mental
health conditions,
and other health
harms. These
increases are
mostly among
Democrats, with
significant
partisan gaps
across most
measures.
-
Trust
in first
responders and
one’s primary care
doctor as sources
for information
about climate
change–related
health problems is
relatively high
across the
political
spectrum, while
trust in health
institutions like
the CDC, WHO, and
EPA is more
polarized.
-
Misperceptions
related to energy
sources have
increased, with
more Americans
across both
parties
incorrectly
believing that
solar and wind
power harm
people’s health.
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Results
Compared
to 2014, more Americans in
2024 recognize specific health
harms linked to climate
change, including heat stroke,
respiratory conditions,
pollen-related allergies,
bodily harms from extreme
weather events, and anxiety
and depression.
Although
Americans’ recognition of the
health harms of climate change
has increased overall, the
results are polarized along
political party lines, with
most of the increased
recognition occurring among
Democrats. An average of 19%
of Republicans say each health
harm they were asked about
will become “somewhat” or
“much” more common in their
community (+11 percentage
points since 2014), compared
to 57% of Democrats (+39
percentage points since 2014).
First
responders and one’s primary
care doctor are Americans’
most trusted sources for
information about health
problems related to climate
change. Trust in first
responders and individual
health professionals is
comparatively high among both
Democrats and Republicans. By
contrast, trust in the CDC,
WHO, and EPA is more
politically polarized.
Between
2018 and 2024, Democrats
became more likely to
recognize the health harms of
coal and gas, while
Republicans became less likely
to recognize the health harms
of coal. During this same
period, both Democrats and
Republicans became more likely
to incorrectly believe that
wind and solar power harm
people’s health.
The
article discusses implications
of these results for
communicating about the health
dimensions of climate change
and energy sources,
particularly the need for
strategies that reduce
polarization while improving
public understanding. Efforts
to mobilize first responders
and health professionals to
explain the health harms of
climate change, such as those
by the Medical
Society Consortium on
Climate and Health, can
help Americans make informed
decisions to protect their
health in the years to come.
The
full open-access article is
available here
at the journal Environmental
Research: Health.
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For
media inquiries, please
contact Eric
Fine and Michaela
Hobbs.
For
partnership inquiries, please
contact Mallika
Talwar.
As
always, thanks for your
interest and support of our
work!
On
behalf of the research team:
Julia Fine, Joshua Ettinger,
Hilyatuz Zakiyyah, Yuan Yue,
John Kotcher, Eryn Campbell,
Kathryn Thier, Teresa Myers,
Jennifer Carman, Seth
Rosenthal, Anthony
Leiserowitz, and Edward
Maibach.
Cheers,
Tony
-----
Anthony Leiserowitz, Ph.D.
JoshAni-TomKat Professor of
Climate Communication
Director, Yale Program on
Climate Change Communication
Yale School of the Environment
(203) 432-4865
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyleiserowitz/
Bluesky: @yaleclimatecomm.bsky.social
climatecommunication.yale.edu
yaleclimateconnections.org
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