Nearly 2/3 of Americans think that global warming is a reality, but the majority of them don’t know why, according to a recent survey by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. The survey was published in the Americans’ Knowledge of Climate Change Report.

Only 10% of those surveyed said they are “very well informed” about issues associated with climate change, including causes, affects, and solutions.

Many proponents of the global warming issue feel that misconceptions and a lack of knowledge about climate change lead some people to doubt that global warming is a reality, or that human activities contribute to the issue. For example, just over 50% of those surveyed knew what the greenhouse effect is, and only 45% understood the effects of carbon dioxide.

Global warming is an issue of importance to Americans. 75% said they would like to know more about it and agree that it should be a subject studied in schools by our children. A majority feel that we need to transition towards renewable energy sources.

One conclusion from the study is that Americans trust scientific organizations more than any other source of information about global warming. The authors say less than 10% of those surveyed have better than satisfactory global warming knowledge, with more than 50% having little to no knowledge.

Article By Geoff Atkins