This blog post summarizes a new Yale University survey showing how a growing majority of Americans link human-caused climate change to extreme weather events — from wildfires and heat waves to droughts, floods, hurricanes, and sea level rise.
I break down the key findings, regional contrasts (with a close look at the Mountain West and Colorado), and what these shifts in public perception mean for policy, communication, and community resilience.
Key findings from the Yale survey
The Yale survey reveals that most Americans now see climate change as a contributing factor to severe weather.
More than 60% associate climate change with extreme heat, wildfires, and drought, while slightly over half link it with hurricanes, flooding, and rising seas.
Where perceptions are strong — and where they lag
The survey contained some surprising contrasts.
For example, 63% of respondents recognize climate change’s role in worsening wildfires, yet only 58% connect it to sea level rise despite robust scientific evidence.
This gap suggests public visibility of impacts matters: intense, immediate disasters like fires and heat waves tend to convince people more quickly than slower, incremental processes like sea level rise.
Regional and local patterns: the Mountain West in focus
Regional differences are pronounced in the data, particularly across the Mountain West states where recent events and local politics shape understanding.
State and county-level results reveal how lived experience and community narratives influence beliefs.
Mountain West details and county divides
Across the Mountain West, beliefs about climate-driven wildfires vary markedly: 70% of Coloradans say climate change is affecting wildfires, compared with 60% in Utah and just 48% in Wyoming.
County-level contrasts are even sharper.
In Colorado’s Park County, 60% see climate change influencing flooding, while only 33% in Wyoming’s Sweetwater County agree.
Politically, Denver’s Democratic 1st Congressional District reports 82% linking climate change to wildfires versus 58% in the more conservative 3rd District.
Why perceptions differ: the drivers
Experts attribute these variations to a few consistent factors.
Local firsthand experience with disasters, political identity and media consumption patterns, and the urban-rural divide all shape whether people see climate change as an immediate threat.
Factors shaping public views
Key drivers identified by researchers include:
Implications for policy, communication, and resilience
Effective climate communication must be localized: people respond to concrete, local examples more than abstract global statistics.
Policymakers should frame investments in mitigation and adaptation as ways to reduce immediate community risk and economic costs.
Bridging political divides requires trusted local messengers—emergency managers, local health officials, and community leaders who can translate science into actionable steps.
Actionable steps for leaders and communicators
To convert growing public awareness into resilience and policy action, leaders should:
The Yale survey signals a meaningful shift. Americans are increasingly recognizing climate change not as a distant problem, but as something they experience through intensifying disasters.
Here is the source article for this story: ‘Strong contrast’ between Mountain West states in viewing climate change’s impact on severe weather events