Americans Have Some Strange Ideas About What Causes Global Warming

October 14th, 2010 by Susan Kraemer

Large majorities of Americans incorrectly believe that completely irrelevant behavior would reduce global warming. For example, an astounding 67% believe that reducing toxic waste, or banning aerosol spray cans (69%) would be effective.

When asked which one action would do the most to reduce global warming, switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources was the action most selected – but by only 36% of those polled. Not so much because the remaining 65% agree on something that might do it better, but more that a great variety of wacky notions compete for the job.

These odd solutions come from misunderstanding about the causes. Majorities of Americans incorrectly believe that the hole in the ozone layer, or toxic wastes, or aerosol spray cans, volcanic eruptions, acid rain, and (thanks, Rush Limbaugh) the sun are to blame for global warming.

But even stranger – considering that Rush indoctrinates 20 million of us about the sun being the cause, so in sense, these are actually “educated” Americans – but almost half of Americans (49%) incorrectly believe that the space program contributes to global warming, something that I don’t believe Rush takes a position on.

An additional 43 percent incorrectly believe that if we stopped punching holes in the ozone layer with rockets, it would reduce global warming.

More than half incorrectly believe that while they are generating energy; nuclear power plants actually contribute to global warming.

There is hope though, for those of us in the business of spreading knowledge about the solutions to climate change. The many government-sponsored communications you see everywhere about the need to switch from the old incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs seems to have really paid off. A solid majority (69%) believes that changing light bulbs will stop global warming. Clearly these kinds of post-secondary public education efforts have had an effect.

And the Americans polled would agree. While they themselves got their information from television, for the most part, and would search on the internet if they wanted to get more information, 75% say that schools should teach our children about the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to global warming and (68%) that the government should establish programs to teach Americans about the issue.

Image: Thomas Hawke
Susan Kraemer@Twitter

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Tags: americans, Global Weirding, poll, Rush Limbaugh

About the Author

Susan Kraemer writes at CleanTechnica, CSP-Today, PV-Insider , SmartGridUpdate, and GreenProphet. She has also been published at Ecoseed, NRDC OnEarth, MatterNetwork, Celsius, EnergyNow, and Scientific American. As a former serial entrepreneur in product design, Susan brings an innovator's perspective on inventing a carbon-constrained civilization: If necessity is the mother of invention, solving climate change is the mother of all necessities! As a lover of history and sci-fi, she enjoys chronicling the strange future we are creating in these interesting times. Follow Susan on Twitter @dotcommodity.

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Anderlan

This is why I try to make it easy when cold-talking somebody. We shouldn’t say warming is caused by “greenhouse gases, mainly CO2 and methane, emitted by man, mainly by burning fossil fuels”. Instead, we should always say, warming is caused by uncontrolled fossil fuel. We should be forthright in the prescription: phasing out fossil fuel, period, if we can defend it–and we can!

Further, I am careful not to say “carbon tax” unless talking to someone who knows exactly what I mean. Instead, I say “fossil fuel fee” or just “fossil fee”.

Finally, put to rest all the listeners’ fears about socialist conspiracy by advocating a *revenue-neutral* carbon tax solution. Or, put just as correctly but more clearly to people: A Phased-in Fossil Fuel Fee with 100% equal Tax Cut.

The fee is what we’ve been calling a carbon tax, and the Tax Cut, in order to be equalized across the population, will have to include a Tax Credit for some people, which is only one step away from simply sending carbon rebate checks. It’s all the same thing, but I say it in a way that Libertarians, Southerners, and Tea Partiers will actually *hear* me.
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Frank Hanlan

Clearly the U.S. has a problem with its education system and media that so many would be taken in by the global warming deniers but I don’t know that Canadians would do any better.
http://www.homepowersaver.net Home Power Saver

Excellent article, and the (hopefully) good news is I’m seeing that the younger generation seems to have a better idea on the causes and cures. I hope this trend continues. I try to do my part at home, and I even developed a hobby website called Home Power Saver to discuss ways to save energy. My hope is to hit the “non believers” in global warming by focusing on projects and products that have clear paybacks (i.e. if you don’t believe, you can still save money).
Lawrence Landherr

American who are indoctrinated (educated) by Rush are fools. Most of them still think that the earth is flat too.
http://www.pakg1.net Robert Park

Interesting, but you make mistakes too.

For one thing, if carbon emissions do cause global warming, then nuclear power plants do cause global warming, because they too have carbon emissions, albeit a lot less than plants running on coal.

Likewise, in the same vein of thought, the space program also causes global warming because it creates carbon emissions as well. Heck, so do we all when we breathe and talk.

I think you misunderstand what the word cause means. Perhaps you should get away from framing it as “cause” and “not cause” to “cause significantly more” and “cause significantly less”?

And it is a fact that the sun is much hotter now than it was before. Why is it inconceivable that this could have an effect on the earth’s temperature? There are plenty of scientists who believe this is part of the equation, and one doesn’t have to be a hardcore scientist to appreciate the logic.

If you’re not willing to consider all these pieces, I worry that you may be just as closed-minded as the Rush Limbaugh you are lambasting.
- http://www.zacharyshahan.com Zachary Shahan
  
  @Robert Park: regarding the sun, we are at the deepest solar minimum in nearly a century and after the hottest decade on record, it looks like 2011 is likely to be the hottest year on record: http://climateprogress.org/2010/10/11/solar-cycle-24-no-maunder-mininum-global-warming-hottest-decade/
- Anderlan
  
  There’s renewable carbon dioxide emissions and non-renewable. That stuff coming out of your mouth is renewable, it came from food, which came from the soil, sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide that was in the air this year or a few years ago. Carbon dioxide from a coal plant was put in the ground millions of years ago by God, so that the planet would be able to stay cool even as the Sun warmed up over billions of years. As you astutely pointed out.
  
  You were less astute when talking about nuke and space program CO2 emissions. I have no idea what you were talking about there.
http://www.holisticpolitics.org/GlobalWarming/ Carl

Actually, switching to compact fluorescent bulbs won’t stop global warming either. Making the switch merely slows it down very slightly. Sort of like hiding under your desk is a good idea during a nuclear attack.

Either radical action is necessary soon or no action at all is necessary save for some basic research on alternative energy. Depends on the speed of the warming. These rinky dink measures like changing light bulbs are just indoctrination.
- http://cleantechnica.com/author/susan Susan Kraemer
  
  Yeah, it is relatively rinkydink, all right. Interesting that that is the one thing the government really pushed and has gained a foothold in our collective consciousness.
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http://www.zacharyshahan.com Zachary Shahan

this is too sad, isn’t it?

but great post, Susan.. interesting stuff and hopefully you helped clear up some issues for folks!