Yale Survey Finds South Florida Leads Nation in Climate Change Awareness

FLORIDA - New research shows that South Florida residents are more informed and alarmed about the issue than much of the United States.

According to Yale University’s 2024 Climate Opinion Map, 63% of Americans now express concern about climate change—up from just 52% a decade ago.

The study asked U.S. adults dozens of questions about climate change, its causes, its effects on future generations, and the role of government in addressing it.

While most Americans and Floridians gave similar responses, South Florida stood out as significantly more climate-conscious.

For example, 72% of Americans said they believe climate change is real, compared to 73% of Floridians and 77% of South Floridians.

When asked if global warming is occurring, South Floridians again outpaced the national average by five percentage points.

Education on climate change also earned strong support.

Nationally, 77% of respondents said schools should teach about global warming.

In South Florida, that number climbed to 83%.

Experts suggest the region’s heightened awareness may be due to firsthand exposure to rising sea levels, worsening storms, and coastal erosion.

In addition, consistent news coverage in the area likely plays a role in keeping the issue top-of-mind.

These results echo a broader 2021-2022 global study that found most people worldwide want their governments to act more aggressively on climate change and are willing to contribute financially to the fight against global warming.