Three-Fourths of Americans Now Say that Climate Change Is Occurring

It might be Pope Francis’ forceful stance on global warming, or increasing outbreaks of wild weather, droughts, and fires.  But whatever the cause, 76 percent of those polled in the U.S. say that climate change is occurring, according to a poll from the University of Texas (UT).  That is a 12-percent increase from March 2012, when only 65 percent of respondents said they believed in climate change.  In that same period, the number of people saying that global warming is not occurring has fallen from 22 percent to 14 percent, according to the poll. 

All the recent publicity about climate change even seems to have been persuasive to Republicans, who traditionally have been more skeptical that climate change is taking place. The UT poll showed that the percentage of Republicans who say climate change is happening has risen from 47 percent in March of this year to 59 percent in September.  Roughly two-thirds of respondents also said that deforestation and the burning of coal and oil was causing global warming.

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