ClimateInsights2024|AmericanUnderstandingofClimateChangeAAmericanUnderstandingJonA.KrosnickandBoMacInnisReport24-11ofClimateChangeClimateInsights2024|AmericanUnderstandingofClimateChangeiJonA.KrosnickisasocialpsychologistwithaPhDfromtheUniversityofMichiganwhodoesresearchonattitudeformation,change,andeffects;psychologyofpoliticalbehavior;andsurveyresearchmethods.HeistheFredericO.GloverProfessorinHumanitiesandSocialSciencesandProfessorofCommunication,PoliticalScience,andPsychologyatStanfordUniversity,wherehedirectsthePoliticalPsychologyResearchGroup.Krosnickhasauthoredtenbooksandmorethan210articlesandchapters,inadditiontoop-edessays.HeisthewinneroftheNevittSanfordAwardforhisworkinpoliticalpsychologyandtheAmericanAssociationforPublicOpinionResearchawardforhisworkonsurveyresearchmethodsandpublicopinion.HeisauniversityfellowatResourcesfortheFuture.BoMacInnisisaneconomistwithaPhDfromtheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley.Herresearchfocusesonclimatechangeandsurveyresearchmethods.SheisalecturerintheDepartmentofCommunication,andregularlycollaborateswithDr.Krosnickonclimatechangeresearch.AbouttheAuthorsAboutRFFAbouttheProjectResourcesfortheFuture(RFF)isanindependent,nonprofitresearchinstitutioninWashington,DC.Itsmissionistoimproveenvironmental,energy,andnaturalresourcedecisionsthroughimpartialeconomicresearchandpolicyengagement.RFFiscommittedtobeingthemostwidelytrustedsourceofresearchinsightsandpolicysolutionsleadingtoahealthyenvironmentandathrivingeconomy.TheviewsexpressedherearethoseoftheindividualauthorsandmaydifferfromthoseofotherRFFexperts,itsofficers,oritsdirectors.Since1997,StanfordUniversityProfessorJonA.KrosnickhasexploredAmericanpublicopinionontheseissuesthroughaseriesofrigorousnationalsurveysofrandomsamplesofAmericanadults,oftenincollaborationwithRFF.Thislatestreportisthefirstinthe2024ClimateInsightsreportseriesbyresearchersatStanfordUniversityandRFFexaminingAmericanpublicopiniononissuesrelatedtoclimatechange.StanfordUniversityandResourcesfortheFutureiiForthe2024iterationoftheClimateInsightssurvey,1,000Americanadultswereinterviewedduringthe130-dayperiodfromOctober16,2023,toFebruary23,2024.ThisClimateInsightsreportfocusesonAmericans’beliefsandcertainty,aswellaspublicopiniononthethreatsofclimatechangeandwhoshouldberesponsibletoacttomitigateit.FutureinstallmentsinthisserieswilladdressAmericanpublicopiniononclimatepoliciesandpolitics,environmentaljustice,andareasofpartisanagreementanddisagreement.Thisseriesisaccompaniedbyaninteractivedatatool,whichcanbeusedtoviewspecificdatafromthesurvey.Pleasevisithttps://www.rff.org/climateinsightsorhttps://climatepublicopinion.stanford.edu/formoreinformationandtoaccessthedatatool,reportseries,andmore.Note:Whenthisresearchprogrambeganin1997,“globalwarming”wasthetermincommonparlance.Thattermwasusedthroughoutthesurveysoverthedecadesandwasalwaysdefinedforrespondentssoitwasproperlyunderstood.Theterm“climatechange”hasriseninpopularity,sobothtermsareusedinthisreportinterchangeably.Whendescribingsurveyquestionwordingsandresults,theterm“globalwarming”isused,tomatchthetermreferencedduringinterviews.Empiricalstudieshaveshownthatsurveyrespondentsinterprettheterms“globalwarming”and“climatechange”tohaveequivalentmeanings(VillarandKrosnick2011).TheauthorsandcontributorsthankAngeliqueUglow(ReconMR),JaredMcDonald(MaryWashingtonUniversity),andRos...