The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explored how extreme weather events shaped climate policy in the U.S.
A survey of 2,646 U.S. adults was conducted from March 31-May 8, 2022.
Key findings include:
- Respondents who have been personally affected by extreme weather events in the last five years are more likely to see climate change in the U.S. as a “crisis” or a “major problem” (77%) compared with those who have not been affected (46%).
- Support for proposals seen as having a limited impact on the financial situation facing households are federal government requirements to reduce carbon emissions from power plants (78% support) and stricter federal fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks (67% support).
- In alignment with reducing financial issues, 62% of the public still think the government should allow for more oil to be drilled in the U.S. to reduce gas prices
- Among the 78% of U.S. households experiencing extreme weather events in the past five years, 24% reported facing serious health problems as a result.
- 39% of Native American adults, 32% of Latino adults, 28% of Black adults, 24% of Asian adults, and 19% of White adults say climate change is threatening the health of their families a great deal or quite a lot.
- Respondents identified the federal government (48%) and businesses and corporations (47%) as the most important groups for limiting climate change
