Protecting the Environment is Very Important to Most Americans Who Believe in Climate Change
New York, NY, April 20, 2017 — According to a recent online study conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Cool Effect, 98% of Americans who believe in climate change caused by humans state that protecting the environment is important to them – including seven in ten (69%) who say that it is in fact very important to them. Across demographics, respondents with children living at home (76% vs. 66%, no kids), those with a college degree (73% vs. 64%, no college degree), and those who are married (72% vs. 65%, other) are among the most likely to stress the importance of protecting the environment compared to their demographic counterparts.
Many who believe that the climate is changing are hopeful that they can help improve the environment, with three quarters (75%) saying they feel there is something they can personally do to fight it. Younger adults (79%, 18-34), parents (81%), the more educated (81%), and those who are married (79%) are especially optimistic. However, fewer have supported an organization that is fighting climate change or advocating for climate policy (40%).
- Support for organizations that are fighting climate change/ advocating for climate policy is especially common among men (48% vs. 32% women), adults under the age of 35 (48% vs. 34%, 55+), the more affluent (44% vs. 32%, earning less than $50,000 annually), parents (52% vs. 35%, no kids), the more educated (49% vs. 29%, no college degree), and those who are married (45% vs 33%, other).
Motivating Factors for Preventing Climate Change
When asked to rank four potential motivators for preventing climate change from most to least important, saving the earth for future generations of family is most likely to come in first, with nearly half (48%) saying that this motivational aspect is most important to them. Just over one in five (22%) rank this item second, while fewer rank it as 3rd (15%) or 4th (16%) most important.
- Saving the earth for future generations of family is seen to be especially important among men (51%), older adults (54%, 55+), parents (54%), and married adults (52%).
Preventing the increased spread of disease (21%) and protecting places on earth, like the Great Barrier Reef, rainforests, national parks, etc. (20%) are ranked as being most important by roughly one in five, each, making up a secondary tier. On the other hand, respondents are least likely to consider saving animals from extinction (11%) as the most important potential motivator for preventing climate change.
- While similar proportions overall rank preventing the increased spread of disease and protecting places on earth as being most important, differences do emerge across demographics. Preventing the spread of disease is more likely to be important among the less affluent (26%) and those who are not married (26%), while protecting places on earth ranks higher among younger adults (24%, 18-34) and those with a college degree (22%).
When asked to share some of their fun and personal reasons for wanting to save the planet, respondents are overall most likely to mention something about the environment (67%) – including nearly one in five who mention clean air/ air quality (17%), and roughly one in ten who say something about climate change/ drastic weather events (11%), protecting the environment/ planet (10%), for fresh/ clean water (8%), or wanting to save the planet because it’s ours/ we live here (8%).
Just under half of those surveyed bring up humankind (46%) when asked why they want to save the planet, including 34% who specifically mention future generations/ family/ friends. Nature-inspired reasons for wanting to save the planet are brought up by nearly as many (44%), with wildlife animals (24%) among the most mentioned here.
A third say that they want to save the planet for the sake of activities (33%) such as traveling/ exploring/ vacations (10%) and hiking/ walking/ running (8%). Miscellaneous reasons are brought up by another one in five (20%), while very few (2%) do not bring up any fun or personal reasons for wanting to save the planet.
Research findings are available for download. For more information on Cool Effect, please visit www.cooleffect.org.
About the Study
These are the findings from an Ipsos poll conducted April 3-5, 2017 on behalf of Cool Effect. For the survey, a sample of 1,406 adults over the age of 18 from the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii was interviewed online in English. In order to qualify for the survey, respondents had to report believing that both the climate is changing (i.e., getting warmer, more storms, etc.) and that climate change is caused by humans.
The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Ipsos’s online panel (see link below for more info on “Access Panels and Recruitment”), partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling (see link below for more info on the Ipsos “Ampario Overview” sample method) and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the U.S. Population using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2016 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Post-hoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, region, race/ethnicity and income.
Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points for all respondents (see link below for more info on Ipsos online polling “Credibility Intervals”). Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=1,406, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=4.5).
For more information about conducting research intended for public release or Ipsos’ online polling methodology, please visit our Public Opinion Polling and Communication page where you can download our brochure, see our public release protocol, or contact us.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Negar Ballard
Senior Account Manager, U.S.
Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 312 292-8366
[email protected]
Marie-Pierre Lemay
Account Manager, U.S.
Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 613 793-1622
[email protected]
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