New Report: Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2026

We found that 67% of voters think global warming is affecting the cost of living in the United States and 64% think it is affecting their own cost of living.

Experience-driven perceptions misalign with assessed heat risk in the United States

People’s perceptions of local heat risk often diverge sharply from expert assessments, limiting protective behaviors and effective policy responses

New Report: Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, Spring 2026

Even though most Americans are interested in hearing about global warming and are worried about its impacts, in recent years, they report a substantial decline in exposure to media coverage and other people talking about it.

Climate Solutions are Health Solutions

Our Center’s Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health organizes and empowers the trusted voices of health professionals and facilitates the medical community’s response to climate change.

Research in Action

We are a world-leading social science research center that identifies new opportunities to enhance public understanding of climate change, and increase public engagement with climate solutions.

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What We Do

Our research informs programs that activate the most trusted voices in America. Our programs activate trusted voices at scale with proven messages to help build public and political will for equitable climate solutions.

Climate Change in the American Mind

Our public opinion polling has explored and tracked public understanding of climate change since 2008.

Climate Matters in the Newsroom

Provides weathercasters and journalists nationwide with climate reporting resources about the relevance of climate change in their communities. 

Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health

The Consortium raises public awareness about the health harms of climate change, and the health benefits of climate solutions.

republicEn

Led by former South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis, we encourage climate leadership among conservative Americans and elected officials.

Virginia Climate Center

Works to enhance Virginia’s resilience to the impacts of climate variability and climate change.

Support 4C

The work of Mason's Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) would not be possible without the generous financial support we have received from philanthropic foundations and individual donors.

You can also support our important work by donating via a secure online donation form. Your financial contribution will be processed on our behalf by the George Mason University Foundation, and is tax deductible.

Our Impact

Our motivation is to apply our research discoveries about the public understanding of climate and communication to benefit the world.

Climate Matters

Provides more than 1,100 local weathercasters with localized climate reporting data. That's more than half of America's TV weathercasters.

Reporting on Climate Matters

Our research shows there's been a 100 fold increase in on-air climate reporting by weathercasters

The Power of the Health Voice

The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health has 50 national medical societies representing over 700,000 physicians—70% of U.S. doctors

Most Americans Think Global Warming Is Happening

Americans who think global warming is happening outnumber those who think it is not happening by a ratio of nearly 5 to 1 (74% versus 15%)

Concern about Global Warming

About two-thirds of Americans (66%) say they are at least “somewhat worried” about global warming. This includes 30% of Americans who say they are “very worried.”