Blowing Hot And Cold: US Belief in Climate Change Shifts with Weather
A University of British Columbia study of American attitudes toward climate change finds that local weather – temperature, in particular – is a major influence on public and media opinions on the reality of global warming.
The study, published by the journal Climatic Change, finds a strong connection between U.S. weather trends and public and media attitudes towards climate science over the past 20 years – with skepticism about global warming increasing during cold snaps and concern about climate change growing during hot spells.
“Our findings help to explain some of the significant fluctuations and inconsistencies in U.S. public opinion on climate change,” says UBC Geography Prof. Simon Donner who conducted the study with former student Jeremy McDaniels (now at Oxford University).
Science Brief thanks to EurekAlert.
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Blowing hot and cold: US belief in climate change shifts with weather
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