Most Americans support expanding wind and solar energy in the United States, but support has dipped 12 percentage points and 11 points, respectively, since 2020. Interest in electric vehicles has also declined.
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Americans’ views differ by age on whether measures like addressing climate change and preventing terrorist attacks should be top foreign policy priorities.
The share of Americans who say electric vehicles are better for the environment than gas vehicles has decreased 20 points since 2021, from 67%.
A majority favor U.S. efforts to become carbon neutral by 2050, but few express strong interest in buying EVs or reducing their own carbon emissions.
64% of Americans live within 2 miles of a public electric vehicle charging station, and those who live closest to chargers view EVs more positively.
Just 12% of Republicans and Republican leaners say dealing with climate change should be a top priority for the president and Congress.
A majority of Americans believe climate change is causing harm to people in the U.S. today and 63% expect things to get worse in their lifetime.
The share of Americans who say climate scientists understand very well whether climate change is occurring decreased from 37% in 2021 to 32% this year.
A majority of Americans (57%) say they favor more nuclear power plants to generate electricity in the country, up from 43% who said this in 2020.
As the Earth’s temperature continues to rise, climate change remains a lower priority for some Americans, and a subset of the public rejects that it’s happening at all. To better understand the perspectives of those who see less urgency to address climate change, the Center conducted a series of in-depth interviews designed to provide deeper insight into the motivations and views of those most skeptical about climate change.
Two-thirds of Americans say the United States should prioritize developing renewable energy sources over expanding the production of fossil fuels.
© 2024 Pew Research Center
