Climate Activists Americans Trust

Climate change is quickly becoming one of the most important issues in the country. A survey from The Atlantic and Yale University shows, among other topics, which climate activists Americans trust when it comes to information about global warming.

Of respondents who were familiar with each activist, Bill Nye led the pack with 76 percent saying they trusted “The Science Guy” with information regarding global warming. Greta Thunberg was a close second with 67 percent, followed by Pope Francis, Leonardo DiCaprio and finally Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

However, there were partisan divides on trust. Republicans in general were less likely to say climate change is a top priority, and their low trust in certain climate activists was shown. For Bill Nye, only 53 percent of Republican respondents showed trust on information about global warming, compared to 93 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Independents. While 92 percent of Democrat respondents said they trust Greta Thunberg, only 23 percent of Republicans responded similarly.

The survey also showed how many Americans are more confident they can influence local and national decision-makers on topics of global warming and climate change. Nearly 50 percent of U.S. respondents said they are confident they can affect both local businesses and local government on issues of global warming. Over 50 percent of U.S. respondents also said they would be willing to take political action to reduce global warming by either signing a petition or voting for a political candidate.