More than 50% of Americans surveyed in Yale’s annual climate opinion study say they are alarmed or concerned about climate change. That’s not a fringe group—that’s the majority.
It makes sense when you consider that nearly half of Americans say they’ve personally experienced the effects of climate change. Two-thirds understand that it’s actively changing our weather patterns.
And yet, it can still feel like you’re living in a sea of denial, surrounded by misinformation and doubt.
Here’s the thing: only 2–3% of Americans believe the science proves climate change is not happening. That’s it. A tiny, vocal minority. They’re often well-funded and media-savvy, with slick, clickbaity messaging that gets amplified far beyond its weight. But when it comes to actual scientific consensus and public awareness, they’re the outliers.
This pattern isn’t just American. Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, for example, now sits on the boards of climate-sounding-but-anti-science think tanks like the Global Warming Policy Foundation and the Institute of Public Affairs, repeating the same old talking points from that 3%. It’s a global phenomenon—but it’s not the majority.
So if you’re feeling isolated or anxious about the climate, take heart: you’re far from alone. Most people do care. Most people do trust the science. Many have experienced the impacts firsthand.
The challenge is that most people rarely talk about it. Despite their concern, climate change still feels taboo in everyday conversation. It’s not dinner table talk. But maybe it should be.
So yes, there’s more support in your community than you probably think, it’s just quiet, scattered, and probably lingering just beneath the surface. That’s how complex systems work sometimes: change doesn’t come from one big moment, but from lots of small shifts adding up, or one small but effective shift that turns the tide. As parents feeling the weight of climate anxiety, we don’t need to do it all—we just need to start thinking about your ideal vision for your community, then we can start to build it with complexity theory.
Sources:
https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2024/toc/3/
https://www.thegwpf.org/who-we-are/#boardTrustees
https://ipa.org.au/author/thehontonyabbott