Climate Change Issues Not Understood By Many

A new survey conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication found that while a vast majority (63%) of Americans know about global warming, many people misunderstood the various causes and threats associated with climate change. The study was conducted on 2,030 adults who were asked 81 individual questions during a four-week period in June and July this year.

One of the phenomenons poorly understood is the greenhouse effect, where 87% of those sampled admitted to have heard about it, but 21% of those who knew believed the greenhouse effect refers to the ozone layer protecting the Earth. Other threats often misunderstood are coral bleaching (only 25% of the respondents have heard of) and ocean currents (34% admitted not knowing whether heat is carried by the currents).

Seventy-five percent of those queried said schools should teach children about climate change, while 68% welcome a national awareness program on climate change.