NCSE – Climate Change and Political Partisanship in the U.S.

Based on a new poll on climate change and political views, the National Center for Science Education or the NCSE reported on the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication new data on the registered American voters’ attitudes and beliefs towards climate change and political views. Political views can imply particular identifications on scientific lines.

This has been substantially true in the United States where some political views can be seen as catastrophically bad for the informed policymaking of the public. When political views impede scientific education, are bound to scientific illiteracy, or belie a scientifically informed public, we come to the issue of an appropriately informed public.

A scientifically informed public in a majoritarian or democratic state is catastrophic for policymaking and voting of the public. In terms of thinking global warming is happening, 75% responded in the affirmed with only 11% in the negative. This is good news.

NCSE, among those answering in the affirmative, stated, “98% of liberal Democrats, 92% of moderate/conservative Democrats, and 69% of liberal/moderate Republicans. Fewer conservative Republicans (47%) think that global warming is happening.”

In short, this is a politically divisive issue. On this particular issue, the rights are far less scientifically informed than the leftists, i.e., this aspect of reality leans liberal or is biased towards the liberal in a manner of speaking.

Surprisingly in contrast to the colloquial notions about American citizenry, there are some interesting aspects to some parts of the data. Not in terms of if global warming is happening, but how or by which means global warming is occurring, 61% of the respondents consider global warming is “Caused mostly by human activities” while 29% believe it is “Caused mostly by natural changes in the environment.” 5% ventured both of the aforementioned as the causes and only 4% selecting neither. These are encouraging numbers. It is not the citizenry; it is the leadership not applying this will of the people to the development of scientifically appropriate and fully-informed policies.

“Opinion was politically divided, with a large majority of Democrats but a minority of Republicans accepting human responsibility,” the NCSE stated, “The data were ‘based on a nationally representative survey of 1,029 American adults, aged 18 and older, 911 of whom are registered to vote. The survey was conducted April 7-17, 2020. All questionnaires were self-administered by respondents in a web-based environment.’”

With files from the National Center for Science Education.

Photo by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash