Winter is the season everyone loves to hate. Well, nearly everyone. According to a 2019 HuffPost/YouGov survey, 51 percent of Americans aged 18 or older have an unfavorable view of winter. Forty percent have a favorable view. The remainder are undecided. By region of the country, this is how people feel about winter...
Percent with a favorable view of winter
Northeast: 34%
Midwest: 24%
South: 48%
West: 45%
What about summer? Overall, 76 percent of Americans have a favorable view of summer, while just 16 percent have an unfavorable view. Here are attitudes toward summer by region...
Percent with a favorable view of summer
Northeast: 78%
Midwest: 81%
South: 72%
West: 72%
Spring and fall are rated even higher than summer. Fully 82 percent of the public has a favorable view of spring and fall, and the figures do not vary much by region.
Source: HuffPost, Winter is Objectively the Most Unlikeable Season
Showing posts with label climate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label climate. Show all posts
Monday, February 17, 2020
Monday, December 09, 2019
Climate Change in Your Community
Perceptions of climate change depend on where people live, according to a Pew Research Center survey. While 62 percent of Americans aged 18 or older say climate change is having either "some" or "a great deal" of an effect in their local community, the figure is as high as 72 percent among people who live in the Pacific states of the West. Among those in the Pacific states who say climate change is having a local impact, 83 percent say it is causing more frequent wildfires and 78 percent say it is causing long periods of unusually hot weather.
Percent who say climate change is having an effect in their local community by census region/division
72% in the Pacific division
63% in the South Atlantic division
61% in the Northeast
59% in the Midwest
59% in the East South Central and West South Central divisions
54% in the Mountain division
Living near the coast also influences attitudes toward climate change. Among those who live within 25 miles of the coast, 67 percent think climate change is having an effect in their community. Among those who live more than 25 miles from the coast, a smaller 59 to 60 percent feel that way.
Perhaps the biggest difference in attitudes toward climate change is by political party. While 82 percent of Democrats say climate change is having an effect in their local community, only 38 percent of Republicans agree.
Source: Pew Research Center, U.S. Public Views on Climate and Energy
Percent who say climate change is having an effect in their local community by census region/division
72% in the Pacific division
63% in the South Atlantic division
61% in the Northeast
59% in the Midwest
59% in the East South Central and West South Central divisions
54% in the Mountain division
Living near the coast also influences attitudes toward climate change. Among those who live within 25 miles of the coast, 67 percent think climate change is having an effect in their community. Among those who live more than 25 miles from the coast, a smaller 59 to 60 percent feel that way.
Perhaps the biggest difference in attitudes toward climate change is by political party. While 82 percent of Democrats say climate change is having an effect in their local community, only 38 percent of Republicans agree.
Source: Pew Research Center, U.S. Public Views on Climate and Energy
Tuesday, November 06, 2018
Most Democrats Are Afraid of Global Warming
Americans are polarized on many issues, and fear of global warming/climate change is one of them. The public is almost evenly divided on the spectrum of fear towards global warming, according to the Chapman University Survey of American Fears. Among all adults, 26 percent are "very afraid" of global warming/climate change, and 27 percent are "afraid." Another 23 percent are only "slightly afraid" of global warming, and 24 percent are "not afraid."
Behind the divide are the differing attitudes of Democrats and Republicans. While three out of four Democrats are afraid of global warming (afraid or very afraid), three out of four Republicans are not (slightly afraid or not afraid).
Fear of global warming/climate change by party affiliation, 2018
Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears, Top 10 Fears by Party Affiliation
Behind the divide are the differing attitudes of Democrats and Republicans. While three out of four Democrats are afraid of global warming (afraid or very afraid), three out of four Republicans are not (slightly afraid or not afraid).
Fear of global warming/climate change by party affiliation, 2018
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Very afraid | 43.0 | 5.5 |
| Afraid | 33.6 | 20.3 |
| Slightly afraid | 17.8 | 32.3 |
| Not afraid | 5.7 | 41.8 |
Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears, Top 10 Fears by Party Affiliation
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
2012 Square Feet in Average American Home
The nation's 118 million occupied housing units contain a total of 238 billion square feet of space, according to the Energy Information Administration's 2015 Residential Energy Consumption survey. That's an average of 2,012 square feet per home. The average size of occupied housing units varies by a number of factors, including...
Region: The smallest homes (1,685 square feet, on average) are in the Pacific states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington). The largest homes (2,337 square feet) are in the West North Central states (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota).
Climate: The smallest homes are in mixed dry/hot dry climates (1,665 square feet). The largest homes are in very cold/cold climates (2,239 square feet).
Year built: The smallest homes were built in the 1950s (1,866 square feet). The largest homes were built during the housing bubble—from 2000 to 2009 (2,381 square feet).
Household income: The average size of homes rises with household income. The smallest homes are those whose residents have a household income below $20,000 (1,325 square feet). The largest homes are those whose residents have a household income of $140,000 or more (3,051 square feet). On a per capita basis, the poorest households have 602 square feet per person and the richest households have 1,018.
Source: Energy Information Administration, 2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey
Region: The smallest homes (1,685 square feet, on average) are in the Pacific states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington). The largest homes (2,337 square feet) are in the West North Central states (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota).
Climate: The smallest homes are in mixed dry/hot dry climates (1,665 square feet). The largest homes are in very cold/cold climates (2,239 square feet).
Year built: The smallest homes were built in the 1950s (1,866 square feet). The largest homes were built during the housing bubble—from 2000 to 2009 (2,381 square feet).
Household income: The average size of homes rises with household income. The smallest homes are those whose residents have a household income below $20,000 (1,325 square feet). The largest homes are those whose residents have a household income of $140,000 or more (3,051 square feet). On a per capita basis, the poorest households have 602 square feet per person and the richest households have 1,018.
Source: Energy Information Administration, 2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey
Tuesday, November 07, 2017
Who Has Trouble Staying Warm?
Among the nation's 118 million households, a substantial 31 percent reported having problems paying their energy bills or maintaining adequate heating and/or cooling in their home in 2015, according to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey. The survey defined energy insecurity as experiencing at least one of five heating/cooling problems—reducing or forgoing food or medicine to pay energy costs; leaving the home at an unhealthy temperature; receiving a disconnect or delivery stop notice; unable to use heating equipment; or unable to use cooling equipment.
Most low-income households are energy insecure. Energy insecurity is much greater among low-income Americans. Among households with incomes below $20,000, the 51 percent majority reported being energy insecure in 2015—that is, they experienced at least one of the five problems. The figure fell to 34 percent among households with incomes of $40,000 to $60,000, which is close to the national median. Among households with incomes of $140,000 or more, only 8 percent reported energy insecurity.
Climate doesn't matter. Among households located in very cold/cold climates, 30 percent reported energy insecurity. Among those in hot/humid climates, 34 percent reported energy insecurity.
Insulation cuts the problem in half. Among those who report that their home is well insulated, only 23 are energy insecure. Among those whose homes are poorly insulated, 49 percent are energy insecure.
Mobile homes are the worst. Among those who live in single-family detached homes, 27 percent report being energy insecure. The figure is about the same for those in apartment buildings with five or more units (30 percent). But for those in smaller apartment buildings of two to four units, a much larger 46 percent are energy insecure. For mobile homes, the figure is a whopping 59 percent.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Residential Energy Consumption Survey, One in Three U.S. Households Faced Challenges in Paying Energy Bills in 2015
Most low-income households are energy insecure. Energy insecurity is much greater among low-income Americans. Among households with incomes below $20,000, the 51 percent majority reported being energy insecure in 2015—that is, they experienced at least one of the five problems. The figure fell to 34 percent among households with incomes of $40,000 to $60,000, which is close to the national median. Among households with incomes of $140,000 or more, only 8 percent reported energy insecurity.
Climate doesn't matter. Among households located in very cold/cold climates, 30 percent reported energy insecurity. Among those in hot/humid climates, 34 percent reported energy insecurity.
Insulation cuts the problem in half. Among those who report that their home is well insulated, only 23 are energy insecure. Among those whose homes are poorly insulated, 49 percent are energy insecure.
Mobile homes are the worst. Among those who live in single-family detached homes, 27 percent report being energy insecure. The figure is about the same for those in apartment buildings with five or more units (30 percent). But for those in smaller apartment buildings of two to four units, a much larger 46 percent are energy insecure. For mobile homes, the figure is a whopping 59 percent.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Residential Energy Consumption Survey, One in Three U.S. Households Faced Challenges in Paying Energy Bills in 2015
Wednesday, October 05, 2016
Climate Change: "What, me worry?"
The results are in: On average, Americans just shrug their shoulders about global climate change, according to a Pew Research Center Survey. Only about a third of adults care a great deal about climate change, and fewer than half believe global warming is mostly due to human activity. The Pew survey also reveals the origin of this "What, me worry?" attitude—the country is of two minds when it comes to climate change. Republicans are highly skeptical and Democrats are deeply worried. Average those extremes, and it looks like Americans don't care much about the issue...
Attitudes of Americans toward global climate change
36 percent say they care a great deal about the issue of climate change
38 percent think people reducing their carbon footprint will make a big difference
41 percent think climate change is very likely to cause sea levels to rise and erode shore lines
42 percent think climate change is very likely to make storms more severe
48 percent think Earth is warming mostly due to human activity
49 percent think international agreements to limit carbon emissions will make a big difference
Source: Pew Research Center, The Politics of Climate
Attitudes of Americans toward global climate change
36 percent say they care a great deal about the issue of climate change
38 percent think people reducing their carbon footprint will make a big difference
41 percent think climate change is very likely to cause sea levels to rise and erode shore lines
42 percent think climate change is very likely to make storms more severe
48 percent think Earth is warming mostly due to human activity
49 percent think international agreements to limit carbon emissions will make a big difference
Source: Pew Research Center, The Politics of Climate
Thursday, January 01, 2015
Hotter Temps = Lower Incomes
Global warming may reduce incomes in the United States, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research study (NBER Working Paper 20750, $5). In an analysis of 40 years of U.S. county-level data, the researchers find a productivity decline of 1.7 percent for every 1.8°F rise in daily average temperature. "A weekday above 30°C (86°F) costs an average county $20 per person," they report, noting: "Hot weekends have little effect."
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