Public opinion about climate change was reviewed in the National Science Board's Science and Engineering Indicators 2020. Unlike in previous editions, only concern about the severity of climate change was considered.
The proportion of Americans "expressing concern about the rise in the world’s temperature" in the General Social Survey "has increased over time," the report observed, from 35 percent in 1994 agreeing that a "rise in the world's temperature caused by the greenhouse effect" is "extremely" or "very" dangerous to 58 percent agreeing in 2018. "Concern is highest among those with more education, especially science-specific education and awareness of basic scientific facts, and relatively younger respondents." These findings are consistent with findings from surveys from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication, the Pew Research Center, and Gallup.
The report emphasized, "The consensus among the scientific community is that climate change largely originates from human activities and represents a substantial environmental threat ... as well as a threat to societies and economies."
