Two women embrace and cry as they look out over a burned area in Lahaina, Hawaii in August 2023. A new survey finds most Americans expect the impacts of climate change to worsen in the next 30 years, as climate scientists warn.Two women embrace and cry as they look out over a burned area in Lahaina, Hawaii in August 2023. A new survey finds most Americans expect the impacts of climate change to worsen in the next 30 years, as climate scientists warn.
In 2022, renewable energy, including wind and solar, accounted for a little less than a quarter of American electricity generation, but investment in renewable energyOne thing the survey suggests is that there is tension between Americans' perception that climate change impacts are getting worse, and their understanding of how those impacts might occur in their own communities.
"Young adults are especially likely to think harm will increase in the United States. Nearly 8 and 10 say that, over the course of their lifetime," says Tyson. Young people are also more likely to say that their community will be a worse place to live over the next 30 years because of climate change, the survey finds.
"One of the most widely held sentiments is feeling sad about what's happening to the Earth," says Tyson. Nearly three quarters of Americans say they feel sad. Anxiety about the impacts of climate change is also a major sentiment, as well as frustration about the lack of political agreement on the topic.Some Americans are also skeptical of those who are advocating for policies that would address climate change, such as investment in renewable energy, the survey finds.