What Do Utahns Think About Global Warming and Climate Change? Scott Hotaling1, Kendall M. L. Becker1, Lendel K. Narine2, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad3, Roslynn McCann4, Peter D. Howe4 Utah State University (USU) Department of Watershed Sciences 2 USU Department of Youth Programs 3 USU Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Criminal Justice 4 USU Department of Environment and Society
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Anthropogenic climate change––long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns driven primarily by human activities since the 1800s––is the most pressing economic, social, and environmental issue in the 21st century. Addressing climate change requires coordinated efforts to mitigate its causes and adapt to changes at local, regional, national, and global scales (U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2023). However, the degree to which successful policies and actions can be implemented depends, in part, on public opinion. In the western United States, climate change is driving snowpack decline (Siirila-Woodburn et al., 2021), which puts Utah’s water supply at risk. From 2010–2020, Utah was the fastest-growing state in the nation (Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, 2021). It is also one of the driest, with a population that relies heavily on a declining seasonal snowpack for its drinking water, irrigation, and recreation (Hotaling & Becker, 2024). The degree of climate impacts in Utah will depend on residents’ perceptions of climate change and support for implementing policies to help the state adapt to warmer temperatures, more extreme weather events, and other associated changes. Here, we integrate multiple data sources to summarize the status and trends of Utahns’ opinions on climate change.
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Highlights •
In Utah, there is consensus (68%) that global warming is happening, and the strength of this consensus has been steadily rising since 2010.
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Utahns’ support for policy actions that would mitigate global warming is even higher.
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For instance, 78% of Utahns support funding research into renewable energy.
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71% believe tax rebates should be available for people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels.
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70% believe CO2 should be regulated as a pollutant.