Scientists who study the earth’s climate overwhelmingly agree that human activities are causing rapid change1 . Most Americans also agree that global warming is happening (74%) and caused by humans (61%)2 . However, the same research finds that about one in eight (12%) of Americans do not think global warming is happening. This indicates that despite scientific consensus, some Americans remain skeptical about whether climate change is real and if humans are the cause

Givens, Jennifer E.

Howe, Peter D.

Lancaster, Cole

Ulrich-Schad, Jessica D.

English

DigitalCommons@USU

Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP) Community and Natural Resources Institute 8-2023 Utahns are Becoming More Likely to Say Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad Utah State University, jessica.schad@usu.edu Jennifer E. Givens Utah State University, jennifer.givens@usu.edu Peter D. Howe Utah State University, peter.howe@usu.edu Cole Lancaster Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/canri_projects  Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Ulrich-Schad, Jessica D.; Givens, Jennifer E.; Howe, Peter D.; and Lancaster, Cole, "Utahns are Becoming More Likely to Say Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening" (2023). Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP). Paper 5. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/canri_projects/5 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Community and Natural Resources Institute at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP) by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@usu.edu.    1 UPEP Utah People & the Environment Poll                            August 2023                               Research Brief #1 Utahns are Becoming More Likely to Say Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, Jennifer E. Givens, Peter D. Howe, & Cole Lancaster   Scientists who study the earth’s climate overwhelmingly agree that human activities are causing rapid change1. Most Americans also agree that global warming is happening (74%) and caused by humans (61%)2. However, the same research finds that about one in eight (12%) of Americans do not think global warming is happening. This indicates that despite scientific consensus, some Americans remain skeptical about whether climate change is real and if humans are the cause.   The state of Utah is already facing environmental threats related to climate change, including drought3; air pollution from wildfires, emissions, and airborne dust4; hazards like wildfires and flooding4; and increased temperatures which will amplify natural hazards5. Among other issues, this will impact the broader economy and health of residents6. This means understanding how Utahns’ view and interpret climate issues is imperative. Using data from a statewide survey of Utahns (Utah People and Environment Poll, or UPEP) this research brief aims to provide valuable insights useful for effective communication, policy formulation, and sustainable measures to address climate change and related issues.   Climate Change Skepticism is Declining in Utah Our survey data indicates a possible shift in Utahns' attitudes towards climate KEY FINDINGS • Statewide polling of Utah residents indicates that most Utahns believe climate change is currently happening and caused mainly by human activities (66% in 2023), similar to the majority of Americans.   • Since 2020, more Utahns see climate change as real and caused by human activities.  • The percentage of Utahns who think climate change is not happening decreased from 7% in 2020 and 2021, to 4% in 2023.    2 UPEP Utah People & the Environment Poll change over a relatively short period of time1. For instance, Figure 1 indicates that in 2020 and 2021, 7% of Utahns thought climate change was not currently happening, while in 2023, 4% said the same. At the same time, we find that fewer Utahns who believe climate change is happening see it as caused mainly by natural forces. While there was a slight increase from 2020 to 2021 in people who believed this, we find that it has declined from 33% in 2020 to 30% in 2023. We also find that while slightly fewer saw climate change as caused mainly by human activities in 2021 than in 2020, in 2023, 66% saw it as caused by human activities compared to 59% in 2020. Overall, the survey findings indicate that Utahns likely increasingly see both climate change as happening and as caused by human activities rather than natural forces.   Conclusion  This research brief indicates that Utahns’ opinions about climate change align with those of most Americans. In addition, there may be a shift occurring in Utahns' perceptions of climate change, as more individuals acknowledge its occurrence and human causation in 2023 compared to recent previous years. The drying of Great Salt Lake, increased temperatures and drought, and reduced air quality are some examples of environmental problems at least partially attributable to climate change that are increasingly apparent in the everyday lives of Utahns which may be driving this shift. Utah is also experiencing rapid population growth from in-migration, which may also be contributing to the shift in residents’ views on climate change.   While few do not see climate change as real, there is still a considerable percentage (nearly one-third) that do not see it as primarily attributable to human activities. This indicates that work remains to be done regarding effectively demonstrating and communicating the link between human behavior and climate change.     Data and Methods Survey data from 2020 (n=634) and 2021 (n=635) come from online non-probability survey panels collective by Qualtrics. Both include registered voters in the state of Utah and have rake weights applied to ensure statewide representativeness on gender, age, education, party registration, and region of the state. Survey data from 2023 comes from the Utah People and Environment Poll, or UPEP, which was started to track Utahns' perceptions on environmental issues of importance to the state to help inform policy to address environmental issues. A random sample of 3,750 households were contacted using postal mail to respond to the survey online or on paper. 441 individuals responded to the survey for a final total   1 Our survey sampling methods differed between 2020-21 and 2023, so differences between years may be attributable to differences in sampling methods.   response rate of 12%. Weights for survey design and to adjust for age, education, and gender representation are applied. To access other briefs and learn more about the UPEP, please visit:  https://chass.usu.edu/sociology/canri/upep  About CANRI The Community and Natural Resources Institute, or CANRI, produces and promotes interdisciplinary and applied social science and humanities research focused on challenges at the intersection of people and the environment in the Intermountain West.       3 UPEP Utah People & the Environment Poll Acknowledgements Funding for the UPEP was provided by the USU College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS), the USU Mountain West Center for Regional Studies, and from CHaSS Alumni, Jorrien & Tiera Peterson, and their company Made by Fell.   About the Authors Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad (jessica.schad@usu.edu) is an Associate Professor of Rural Community and Natural Resource Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Utah State University.  She is also the director of CANRI. Jennifer E. Givens (jennifer.givens@usu.edu) is an Associate Professor of Environmental Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Utah State University.   Peter D. Howe (peter.howe@usu.edu) is a Professor of Geography in the Department of Environment & Society at Utah State University.   Cole Lancaster (colelancaster@u.boisestate.edu ) is an incoming M.A. student in Political Science at Boise State University.    Suggested Citation Ulrich-Schad, Jessica D., Jennifer E. Givens, Peter D. Howe, and Cole Lancaster. 2023. “Utahns are Becoming More Likely to Say Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening.” Research Brief # 2023-1. Utah People and Environment Poll.              References 1. Cook, John, Naomi Oreskes, Peter T. Doran, William RL Anderegg, Bart Verheggen, Ed W. Maibach, J. Stuart Carlton et al. 2016. "Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming." Environmental research letters 11(4): 048002. 2. Leiserowitz, Anthony., Maibach, Edward, Rosenthal, Seth, Kotcher, John, Lee, S., Verner, M., Ballew, M., Carman, J., Myers, T., Goldberg, M., Badullovich, N., & Marlon, J. 2023. Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2023/  3. Williams, A. Park, Benjamin I. Cook, and Jason E. Smerdon. 2022. "Rapid intensification of the emerging southwestern North American megadrought in 2020–2021." Nature Climate Change 12(3): 232-234. 4. USGCRP, 2018: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 1515 pp. doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018.2018 National Climate Assessment report https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/25/  5. Utah Department of Public Safety. 2023.  “Utah Hazard Mitigation: Climate Change.” https://hazards.utah.gov/climate-change/ 6. Spencer, Melanie, Stembridge, Emily S.B., and Phillips, Lynn U.  “Climate Change and Public Health in Utah”. https://health.utah.gov/enviroepi/publications/Climate%20Change%20Booklet%20WEB%20compressed.pdf  

Utahns are Becoming More Likely to Say Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening

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Utahns are Becoming More Likely to Say Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening

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