52% Think Earth Is Warming Due to Human Activity

A slim majority of American adults think the earth is getting warmer mostly because of human activity, according to a Pew Research Center survey. The 52 percent majority feel this way. Another 17 percent agree the earth is warming but they think it is mostly because of natural patterns in the environment. A substantial 21 percent are outright deniers: they think there is no solid evidence of global warming.

Young adults are most likely to think the earth is warming because of human activity, while people aged 50 or older are least likely to feel this way.

Percent who say the earth is getting warmer mostly because of human activity
Aged 18 to 29: 69%
Aged 30 to 49: 54%
Aged 50 to 64: 43%
Aged 65-plus: 44%

Among people aged 50 or older, those who believe the earth is warming due to human activity are outnumbered by those who don't believe it is warming, who think warming is due to natural patterns, or who don't know what to think. Greta Thunberg has work to do.

Source: Pew Research Center, In a Politically Polarized Era, Sharp Divides in Both Partisan Coalitions

Global Warming: 51% Are Concerned Believers

The threat of global warming is making inroads into the consciousness of the American public. In the latest Gallup environmental survey, 51 percent of adults aged 18 or older are what Gallup calls Concerned Believers. Gallup defines this group as "highly worried about global warming, think it will pose a serious threat in their lifetime, believe it's the result of human activity, and think news reports about it are accurate or underestimate the problem." The 51 percent of 2019 is not statistically different from what Gallup has measured in each year since 2016, but it is significantly higher than the level recorded in the years prior to 2016, when it ranged from 33 to 39 percent.

Another 30 percent of Americans are what Gallup calls the Mixed Middle, and 20 percent are Cool Skeptics. The attitudes of Cool Skeptics are the opposite of Concerned Believers. Gallup describes them this way: "They worry little or not at all about global warming, do not think it will pose a serious threat in their lifetime, think it's attributable to natural environmental changes and think the news exaggerates the problem."

Those most likely to be Concerned Believers are women (55 percent), 18-to-29-year-olds (67 percent), college graduates (60 percent), nonwhites (60 percent), and Democrats (77 percent). Those most likely to be Cool Skeptics are men (25 percent), people aged 50 to 64 (26 percent), non-Hispanic Whites (27 percent), and Republicans (52 percent).

Source: Gallup, Americans as Concerned as Ever about Global Warming