Last year climate change became reality for the United States. New York City flooded, a historic drought blanketed the Midwest, and we saw one of the worst fire seasons ever recorded. By July, the U.S. had shattered over 40,000 daily heat records.
The question now is whether last year’s events will lead to new momentum for climate solutions. Will we get a shift in public opinion to match the shifting climate?
So far, surprisingly, the answer seems to be yes. Recent months have seen a long list of institutions and individuals—many rather unexpected, some powerful—speaking out in favor of action on climate change.
The climate movement has some strange new bedfellows. Here’s a roundup:
The American people
No longer able to deny what they see with their own eyes, a growing number of Americans are acknowledging that climate change is real. According to Gallup, 51% of Americans worried a great deal or a fair amount about global warming in 2011. By March 2012, a Gallup poll showed that number had increased to 55%, and this year, Gallup bumped that up to 58%. This is in line with the trend seen in a Yale poll released in October 2012, which found that 74% of Americans believe “global warming is affecting weather in the United States,” up 5 points from their survey six months earlier.
Other findings align with these, though the numbers differ. According to a recent study conducted by Duke University, 50% of Americans are now “convinced the climate is changing" and another 34% believe it "is probably changing." That study found that Americans are at their highest level of belief in climate change and humans’ contribution to it since 2007.
Perhaps this trend will bolster new science teaching guidelines expected to be implemented in up to 40 states, which include extensive lessons on human-caused climate change.
The changes to the science curriculum are not without controversy, and the Duke study saw some division on climate change along party lines. However, another recent Yale survey revealed that even a majority of Republicans now believe in climate change. Notable among those is former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger . Like many other Americans, he not only believes the majority of scientists on this issue but also what he’s seeing himself. And what he’s seeing is a threat to California and its agriculture, which helps feed the rest of the country and provides over 1.5 million jobs in that state.
A good climate for action
All this concern about climate change indicates that the climate is in fact changing — that is, the climate for action. And it could be an indication that real change is on the way. Initiatives in the military and financial worlds will likely set the tone for other areas and hasten progress on a number of fronts.
A good example is the Navy, which is seeing climate change as an opportunity to “turn vulnerability into capability." Their search for the best biofuels will likely drive down prices and make it less necessary to protect oil supplies. And as they like to point out, where the Navy leads, others will follow.
The same can be said of financial institutions. As more investors demand that companies mitigate carbon emissions, the financial pressures will force businesses to take action.
While the past year’s extreme weather events may have done a lot to change some minds, belief in climate change has been progressing for years. Now we’re at the point where some of our most sober institutions are on board to deal with it, and they’ll be backed by increasing public support. With all these sectors of society working on the problem, we have a much better chance of solving it.
All this concern about climate change indicates that the climate is in fact changing — that is, the climate for action. And it could be an indication that real change is on the way. Initiatives in the military and financial worlds will likely set the tone for other areas and hasten progress on a number of fronts.
A good example is the Navy, which is seeing climate change as an opportunity to “turn vulnerability into capability." Their search for the best biofuels will likely drive down prices and make it less necessary to protect oil supplies. And as they like to point out, where the Navy leads, others will follow.
The same can be said of financial institutions. As more investors demand that companies mitigate carbon emissions, the financial pressures will force businesses to take action.
While the past year’s extreme weather events may have done a lot to change some minds, belief in climate change has been progressing for years. Now we’re at the point where some of our most sober institutions are on board to deal with it, and they’ll be backed by increasing public support. With all these sectors of society working on the problem, we have a much better chance of solving it.
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