Americans Lead the World in Climate Realism

Published July 25, 2014

Americans lead the world in climate realism, according to polling results published by Ipsos MORI.

The pollsters asked more than 16,000 people from more than 20 different countries their opinions on various environmental issues. Two questions were climate-specific.

The first climate-specific question asked, “To what extent do you agree or disagree? The climate change we are currently seeing is a natural phenomenon that happens from time to time.” The United States and India had the largest percentage of respondents agreeing, each with 52 percent agreeing. In India, 42 percent disagreed, while only 35 percent of Americans disagreed.

The second climate-specific question asked, “To what extent do you agree or disagree? The climate change we are currently seeing is largely the result of human activity.” The United States had the smallest percentage of respondents agreeing, with 54 percent saying they agreed.

The survey results set off an onslaught of America-bashing by the political left, claiming climate science information campaigns by public policy organizations such as the Heartland Institute are undermining government efforts to build momentum for expensive, centralized global warming initiatives.