While the United States makes up only about 5% of the worlds population it is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. While the U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases per capita are greater than for any other nation, a recent study showed that Americans are divided about the reality of global climate change with only 51% of the population believing that climate change is real and is a serious problem.
During October of 2008 researchers from Yale and George Mason universities conducted nation-wide, in-depth interviews with more than 2000 Americans, focusing on attitudes toward climate change and supporting demographic data. The initial report, "Global Warming's Six Americas"(1) identified and described six, distinct groups of Americans based on climate change beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors and other factors. Two subsequent reports focused on energy saving behaviors and on climate change "beliefs, attitudes, policy preferences and actions". A "final" report(2) released in May of 2009 updates and expands upon the previous reports. The findings are too voluminous to present here, and thus online access is recommended to those with more than a casual interest.
The six groups identified in the report range for those most convinced about the reality of global warming and that it is human caused and an urgent threat. The Alarmed are making changes in their personal lifestyles and directly support an aggressive national response. The Concerned also are convinced that global warming is a serious problem, but are less likely to be directly involved, or taking personal actions than the Alarmed. Together, these two groups make up 51% of the population.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Dismissive are equally convinced about the reality of global warming, and engaged, as the alarmed, except that they strongly believe that it is not happening, is not a threat, and strongly believe that a nation response is not needed.
The Cautious also believe that global warming is a real problem, but they are less certain about it than either the Alarmed or Concerned, and do not view it as a personal threat to them or their children, and don't see any urgency to deal with the problem.
The Disengaged basically haven't thought about it and don't know much about it. In many ways they are the group with the most open mind and could easily change their beliefs about global warming.
The Doubtful are evenly split among those who believe that global warming is real and those who think that it is not. Those who do believe in the reality of global warming tend to believe that it is due to natural causes, and is not a threat. Most of the Doubtful feel that America is already doing enough to respond to global warming.
The reports identify how each of these "six Americas" response to the global warming issue in their own, distinctive manner, and provides detailed analyses of the attitudes, demographics and behavioral profiles of each group. This information should prove essential in the establishment of the meaningful dialogs between these groups that will be necessary in the formulation and implementation of national policies addressing climate change.
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1.) Global Warming's "Six Americas": An Audience Segmentation. Leiserowitz, A., E. Maiback and C. Roser-Fenouf. 2008. 42 p. A Yale Project on Climate Change and George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication report. Online at: http://www.climatechangecommunication.org/images/files/SixAmericas-final-v3-Web.pdf
2.) Global Warming's Six Americas 2009: An Audience Segmentation Analysis. Maibach, E., C Roser-Renouf and A. Leiserowitz. 2009. 131 p. A Yale Project on Climate Change and George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication report. Online at: http://www.climatechangecommunication.org/images/files/Global_Warming%27s_Six_Americas_2009r.pdf
