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"[J]ust under 6 out of 10 Americans (59%) think that there is solid evidence of global warming and that the warming is being at least partially caused by human activity," according to the latest results from the National Surveys on Energy and the Environment conducted by the University of Michigan and Muhlenberg College.
Asked "From what you've read and heard. Is there solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been getting warmer over the past four decades?" 76% of respondents — the highest rate since the survey asked the question in 2008 — said yes, 17% said no, and 8% volunteered that they were unsure.
Those who said yes were asked about the causes of climate change: 49% of respondents attributed it mostly to human activity, 22% attributed it mostly to natural patterns, 24% volunteered that it was a combination (with 65% of them agreeing that if they had to choose they would attribute it mostly to human activity), and 5% volunteered that they were unsure.
According to the NSEE report, there were 720 adult respondents for the survey, contacted via landline and cell phones between January 13 and February 8, 2022; the margin of error was +/- 5% at a 95% level of confidence. The data were weighted by gender, age, race, income, and education to reflect the population characteristics of the United States.
