Americans may be greatly underestimating just how concerned their compatriots are about climate change and the degree to which they support transformative climate policies, according to a new survey-based study.
The research published in Nature Communications this week found roughly 80 to 90 percent of U.S. citizens misjudged just how many of their peers are concerned about the effects of climate change.
While the majority of Americans surveyed — about 66 to 80 percent — said they themselves support major climate change mitigation policies such as a carbon tax and sourcing power from 100 percent renewable energy sources by 2035, just 37 to 43 percent of respondents said they believed their fellow citizens held the same views.
Researchers said Americans may be experiencing a “false social reality” as supporters of policies targeting climate change outnumber opponents two to one, but the perception of Americans is that the opposite is true.
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The misperception appeared to be consistent throughout every state and demographic category researchers looked at, including political affiliation, race, media consumption habits and rural versus suburban. Along party lines, conservatives were more likely to underestimate support for climate change policies but liberals also believed support was in the minority. Researchers also found a link between consuming conservative media and increased misperception about the popularity of climate change policy.
“Americans in every state and of all major demographics are 20 percent or more off in their estimates of support for all climate policies. In all cases, Americans failed to understand that a strong majority of fellow Americans support climate policy, instead, estimating it to be a minority,” the study states.
“Given both the ubiquity and magnitude of misperception, this represents a notable form of pluralistic ignorance, perhaps best described as a false social reality, defined here as a case where an inverted perception of the attitude of others is nearly held by all in a society,” the study reads.
The study’s authors suggest the phenomenon may keep people from organizing to push for greater climate action if they believe their viewpoint is unpopular, and a focus on educating people on how prevalent the support is may be needed. The study includes a nationally representative survey of more than 6,000 Americans adults.
The research comes just after President Biden signed a sweeping climate, health care and tax bill into law.
