By Anvi Bhate
Currently, around 60 percent of Americans view climate change as a major threat to the prosperity of the United States and two thirds of the country’s adults observe the federal government is not doing enough to reduce the effects of global climate change (Pew, 2020). The majority of Americans believe the government should try different approaches to reducing climate change such as planting more trees, placing tougher restrictions on power plant carbon emissions, and establishing tougher fuel efficiency standards for cars (Pew, 2020). However, even as more Americans begin to believe in climate change and its alarming need to be addressed, two thirds of the population refuse to quit fossil fuels (Forbes, 2021).
While not all Americans are completely convinced with the life altering effects of climate change, compared to a decade ago, many more Americans now note that protecting the environment and responding to the climate crisis should be top priorities for the President and Congress (Pew, 2020). Many Americans believe the government should be doing more— 74 percent believe that the federal government should regulate the usage of greenhouse gases (Washington Post). However, the government is extremely divided as Republicans and Democrats disagree over climate policies. Partisanship seems to be more of a deciding factor in people’s beliefs about climate change than is their level of knowledge and understanding about science and the climate crisis (Pew, 2020). While 67 percent of conservatives in the U.S. think the country is doing an effective job combatting the climate crisis, only 26 percent of liberals agree (Pew, 2020).
The U.S. still has a lot of work to do— only about fifty-seven percent of Americans believe that climate change is caused by human activity (NBC, 2021). Most Americans do not believe they will be personally affected by climate change, and going between states, the data shows even less concern (NBC, 2021). Due to many Americans doubting that their actions will affect the planet and future generations, the United States is in grave danger.
Climate change is not just a problem in the U.S.; it is impacting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting people’s livelihood. Weather patterns are wavering, sea levels are rising, and extreme weather events are causing more destruction (United Nations, 2021).
It is important that correct information around climate change be spread, as all Americans and all countries should be taking major steps in preventing the tipping point of the crisis. The U.S., both citizens and the government, must recognize the effects of climate change in order to take action.
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