There's a great article on the public opinion of climate change over on NPR.org.
The American public is less likely to believe in global warming than it was just five years ago. Yet, paradoxically, scientists are more confident than ever that climate change is real and caused largely by human activities.
97 percent of American scientists say that climate change is happening.
Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy, paraphrased its most recent report on the subject.
"The consensus statement is that climate changes are being observed, are certainly real, they seem to be increasing, and that humans are mostly likely the cause of all or most of these changes," he said.
That's not just the view of the U.S. National Academies. There's also a consensus statement from the presidents of science academies from around the world, including the academies of China, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Russia, France, Brazil, the list goes on.
I'm not sure how climate change became politicized, but it has become just that. My Conservative Party / Republican Party backing friends typically deny the existence of climate change. Conversely, my Liberal Party / NDP / Democrat Party pals do not.
97 percent of American scientists say that climate change is happening. Scientists know way more about this stuff than me or my friends. It's happening, people.
