Is the tide turning on US climate sceptics?

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A survey from the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy shows that there are now fewer Americans than ever who deny climate change. Only 16% of respondents don’t believe that temperatures on the planet are rising, while 70% believe they are.

The survey has been conducted twice each year since 2008, when 72% of respondents indicated that they believed global temperatures were rising, while 17% said that they did not. Since that time public perception of climate change has varied significantly from year to year.

climate change deniers in US

So why is there such as variance in public perception over a relatively short period of time? In an interview with Time, report author Barry Rabe, a professor at the University of Michigan, said that those surveyed were more likely to respond positively during years with extreme weather. Events such as the drought in California may explain the 10% jump in those who believe in climate change, and the 8% drop in those who do not, compared with the results from autumn 2014. “This is not a trivial jump,” said Rabe. “When you see a shift like this in a relatively short period of time, that’s significant.”

While this survey creates a picture of the changing perceptions of climate change, it does not delve into whether or not respondents feel that this change is a result of human activities, and therefore it is unclear whether these results will lead to changes in climate policy. Said Rabe: “Does this suggest a shift that’s going to shift public policy? That’s not at all clear. It’s only one snapshot.”

Have you read?
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Author: Murray Nicol is Digital Project Lead at the World Economic Forum

Image: Graffiti art is seen on a wall next to the Regent’s Canal, in Camden in London December 22, 2009. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

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