Checking In on Climate Change Attitudes

Americans are divided over the impact of climate change policies. (Pew Research Center)

A new Pew Research Center survey: 34% of Americans say climate policies help the economy, while another 34% say they hurt.

The partisan split: Among Republicans, 56% believe these policies hurt the economy, compared to 52% of Democrats who think they help.

The trend: The share of Americans who think climate change is a major threat increased from 40% in 2013 to 54% in 2022.

Reality check: Climate change is a relatively low priority, ranking 17th out of 21 national issues in a Pew Survey conducted last year.

Bubba’s Two Cents

For the past 15-20 years, climate change has dominated cultural and political conversations, from Leonardo DiCaprio’s activism to Netflix’s Earth documentaries. But recently, there seems to be growing exhaustion—while people still support a cleaner planet, the alarmist tone seems to be losing its power.