Fewer Americans Doubt Global Warming is Occurring

August 2016

Since its inception in 2008, the National Surveys on Energy and Environment (NSEE) has tracked whether Americans believe there is solid evidence that global warming is occurring. The Spring 2016 NSEE finds that Americans’ views on climate change—and the confidence with which they hold those views—has set new benchmarks, and suggests that climate change continues to be a highly polarized issue, even as the number of those who doubt its existence is decreasing. These findings come as NASA and NOAA report that the first six months of 2016 are the hottest on record.