A new Ipsos poll finds less than half of the American public believe climate change is human-driven, the lowest share reported over several years of polling. Twenty-seven percent believe climate change is natural, seven percent think the climate isn’t changing, and other respondents say they aren’t sure whether humans are causing climate change.
The lingering disconnect between the established science that explains anthropogenic climate change and public opinion can be traced to the fossil fuel industry. “Virtually all of climate science is on one side of this issue because they’re actually looking at the evidence,” Edward Maibach, distinguished professor and director of the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University told the Hill. “The other side of the issue is driven, essentially, by the fossil fuel industry, and their friends in the conservative media, and their friends in conservative politics.” A partisan divide also remains, with 75 percent of Democrats believing climate change