New Chicago Council Survey results show that most Americans aren’t extremely concerned about climate change, but many believe the government isn’t doing enough to combat the issue.
Key Findings
Half of Americans (50%) say the U.S. government is not doing enough to deal with the problem of climate change, according to new survey results from The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. This is up five percentage points from 2012, when a plurality (45%) said the government was not doing enough. Three in ten (31%) say the government is doing about the right amount, while two in ten (19%) say it is doing too much.
Some of the actions Americans would endorse include increasing tax incentives to encourage the development and use of alternative energy sources, such as solar or wind power (73%) and requiring automakers to increase fuel efficiency even if this increases the price of cars (69%). A large majority of Americans (71%) also support the U.S. participating in a "new international treaty to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
This data is pulled from the 2014 Chicago Council Survey report, Foreign Policy in the Age of Retrenchment, which finds solid public support for the United States having an "active" role in world affairs.
