Climate Change

Most residents believe that climate change is real, and that immediate (or some) action is required (54%), but for the rest (46%), the jury is still out. Nearly four times the proportion of Democrats (41%) and twice the proportion of “Decline to state/others” (22.5%) compared to Republicans (11%) believe that global climate change has been established as a serious problem requiring immediate action. This is a statistically significant difference.

Younger residents (18-34) are much more convinced about the seriousness of global warming than older survey respondents. Seventy-five percent believe that climate change is a real problem and that immediate (or some) action is required. Fifty-seven percent of 35 to 54-year-old respondents share this perception, compared to 48% of those 55 years of age and older.

Interestingly, age is not related to perceptions regarding global warming among Democrats, but it is highly related to these perceptions among Republicans. The same relationship observed in the general population pertains. Sixty-three percent of the few Republicans in our sample 18 to 34 years of age believe that global warming is a real phenomenon, compared to 54% of GOP members from 35 to 54, and to just 39% of Republicans 55 years of age and older.