Extreme weather experiences impact views on climate change - CBS News poll
Nearly half of Americans say the area where they live has experienced more extreme weather related events in recent years, and it has led most of them — more than 6 in 10 — to be more concerned about climate change.
The level of concern about climate change among those who report having experienced extreme weather is similar across geographic regions of the country. Those living in the South were more likely than those in other regions to report they have experienced extreme weather, however.
Two-thirds of those who report living through extreme weather recently say people need to address climate change "right now."
Politics and ideology have long divided views on climate change, with Democrats and liberals more likely than Republicans and conservatives to see it as a pressing issue.
Those splits remain, but extreme weather experiences do shape views. Republicans and conservatives who say they've experienced extreme weather in recent years are more likely than those who say they haven't to feel climate change needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,062 U.S. adult residents interviewed between April 5-8, 2022. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as to 2020 presidential vote. The margin of error is ± 2.8 points.
