Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
February 2013

Americans Think the Climate Is Changing and Support Some Actions

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Americans Think the Climate Is Changing and Support Some Actions
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This policy brief presents the results of a recent Duke University survey of American public opinion on climate change and climate policies, which suggests that the percentages of Americans who think the climate is changing and that this change is caused by human activity have reached their highest levels since 2007. Opinions on climate change remain divided across party lines, but the survey found bipartisan support for regulating greenhouse gas emissions and for clean energy requirements. However, neither support for carbon taxes nor understanding of carbon markets is widespread. The survey—designed by researchers Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and conducted January 16­–22, 2013—is part of an ongoing effort to inform the climate policy debate, including through assessment of public opinion on policy alternatives.