Basically the same as 25 years ago:

Just over one-third of Americans worry “a great deal” about climate change, down one percent from 1989. That despite nearly every other climate change metric—temperatures, sea levels, carbon dioxide concentration, and major storms—continuing to steadily increase.

I’m not sure what would account for this, but concern about climate change did spike among Americans in April of 2000 and March of 2007. Then it returned to 25-years-ago levels. Theories?

Eli Sanders is The Stranger's associate editor. His book, "While the City Slept," was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He once did this and once won this,...

4 replies on “The Percentage of Americans Who Worry “A Great Deal” About Climate Change”

  1. Why worry about something you can’t change? They should have asked another question – how many of you have no hope for the climate?

  2. It’s like saying you wake up every day and “worry a great deal” about a 10.0 earthquake and 200-foot tsunami wiping Portland off the map while a satellite falls from space and lands on your head. A lot of people think we’re either doomed already, or somehow politicians will somehow work with scientists to somehow pull a last second miracle out of their asses. But either way, it’s not something we can prevent individually, so why worry about it.

    (Not necessarily saying this is how I feel. But you asked for theories, and I think this is the most likely.)

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