51% of Voters See Climate Change as a Danger

Most American voters want more domestic oil and gas production even though about half believe climate change has reached dangerous levels.

A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports and the Heartland Institute finds that 63% of Likely U.S. Voters would support a law that would reduce gasoline and energy prices by dramatically increasing oil and gas drilling in the United States, including 39% who would Strongly Support such a law. Only 30% would oppose a law to boost U.S. oil and gas drilling, with 16% Strongly Opposed. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Fifty-one percent (51%) believe Earth is experiencing a dangerous level of climate change. Thirty-three percent (33%) don’t think climate change is at a dangerous level and 15% are not sure.

Among voters who believe the earth is experiencing climate change, 49% think humans are the primary driver of climate change, while 10% say climate change is mainly from natural causes, and 41% believe both humans and natural causes are involved.

“Less than half of Americans believe humans are the primary cause of climate change and just barely half think any such climate change may be dangerous,” said James Taylor, president of The Heartland Institute.

“It is a testament to the intelligence of the American people that the nation can see through the one-sided media messaging and the enormous amounts of money poured into spreading propaganda about a so-called climate crisis.”

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it’s in the news, it’s in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 2,466 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on July 5-12, 2024 by Rasmussen Reports and the Heartland Institute. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Forty-four percent (44%) of Likely Voters say they wouldn’t be willing to pay any additional tax money to battle climate change. Twenty-one percent (21%) would be willing to pay $50 a month in extra taxes to fight climate change, while 14% would be willing to pay $100 monthly, four percent (4%) would pay an extra $500 a month in taxes to battle climate change and another four percent (4%) would be willing to pay even more. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Republicans, 27% of Democrats and 47% of voters not affiliated with either major party wouldn’t be willing to pay any extra tax to battle climate change.

Seventy-five percent (75%) of Democratic voters believe Earth is experiencing a dangerous level of climate change, an opinion shared by 31% of Republicans and 46% of unaffiliated voters.

Eighty-five percent (85%) of Republicans, 46% of Democrats and 64% of unaffiliated voters would at least somewhat support a law that would reduce gasoline and energy prices by dramatically increasing U.S. oil and gas drilling.

Majorities in every racial category – 61% of whites, 58% of black voters, 69% of Hispanics and 75% other minorities voters – would support a law to increase domestic oil and gas drilling.

More women voters (56%) than men (46%) believe Earth is experiencing a dangerous level of climate change.

Most voters think this year’s election could be impacted by cheating, nearly one-in-five say they received multiple mail-in ballots in 2020 and nine percent (9%) of voters nationally either are not U.S. citizens or aren’t sure if they’re citizens. 

Joe Biden has quit his campaign for reelection, but most voters believe the decline in his mental ability poses a danger for America.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as to Platinum Members.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.