As record heat waves continue to sweep across the nation, climate change is a major point in American discourse. Despite declining trust in climate scientists and disagreement about root causes, recent national survey data shows nearly 3/4 of Americans (72%) agree that climate change is happening. In our most recent surveys in Oregon and Washington, DHM dug into opinions on climate change among residents of a region known for its deep connection to nature.
Most residents in the Pacific Northwest agree that the earth is getting warmer, but there is less consensus about the cause.
Similar to national data, most Oregonians (79%) and Washingtonians (78%) believe there is sufficient evidence that the average temperature on Earth has been getting warmer. In Oregon, this attitude has remained consistent over time, showing only minor fluctuations since 2015 (75%). Despite the consensus around what is happening, there is less agreement about the why. In both states, close to half of residents say climate change is caused by human activity (54% Oregon, 50% Washington), and around a quarter say that changes in climate are mostly due to natural patterns on the Earth’s surface (24% Oregon, 28% Washington).
Climate change opinions vary along party lines.
When analyzing climate change opinions across various characteristics, we found that they are mainly split based upon individual’s political ideologies. Nearly every Democrat in the Pacific Northwest (95%) says that there is solid evidence for climate change compared to only 59% of Republicans. We observed a similar pattern when we investigated people’s beliefs around the causes of climate change. Most Democrats agree on the source of climate change; 79% say climate change is due to human activity. On the other hand, answers among Republicans are less consistent. A plurality (36%) say that climate change is the result of natural patterns, 23% say it is due to human activity, and 20% say we do not know enough to say.
Residents in the PNW currently prioritize other issues above climate change.
When asked about the most important issues in the region, climate change ranks low on the public’s list of priorities. In the Pacific Northwest, only 6% of residents named climate change as an issue they’d like their local leaders to address. Washingtonians (7%) mentioned climate change and environmental issues slightly more frequently than Oregonians (4%), but these concerns still fall relatively low compared to other issues.
While some may find it surprising that in a region so connected to nature, so few residents named climate change as a top concern, a couple of factors that could be driving it down the list. One possibility is that the list of issues for PNW residents is long, and residents are more concerned about other matters. As we’ve examined previously, homelessness, affordable housing, and public safety are the most pressing concerns in this region, so combating climate change may not be top of mind for residents when asked about issues that local leaders can impact. Another possibility is that combating climate change could be seen as an issue that is beyond the scope of local governments and is instead a federal or international issue. In national studies that examine top priorities, climate change ranks much higher with just over one-third (37%) of Americans saying climate change should be a priority for federal leaders, which is much higher than our surveys about local issues reflect.