Americans are more likely today than they were a decade ago to connect climate change to human health, according to a new study in Environmental Research: Health. But a growing share incorrectly believe that cleaner energy sources are harmful to health and political differences are common.

Conducted by researchers with Climate Change in the American Mind — a project run jointly by the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication — the study looked at data from climate change surveys taken in 2014, 2018 and 2024.

Personal experiences, misinformation and politics have all shaped what people believe today, according to Josh Ettinger, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at the George Mason center and a co-author of the study.

In a nutshell, what does this new study find?

In 2014, our center published a report examining what Americans think about the impacts of climate change on health. We decided to update that data 10 years later. What we are seeing is that Americans are increasingly recognizing climate change as a health issue. They increasingly recognize how climate change harms respiratory health, and how it contributes to heat stroke, allergies, mental health conditions and other harms. However, these increases are mostly driven by Democrats, and there is significant polarization here.

In plain terms, how has the public's understanding changed over that decade?

We asked a variety of questions, and the paper shows all of them. To give you one example, we asked to what extent people think health harms such as heat stroke, air pollution, asthma and allergies will become more or less common in their community over the next 10 years as a result of global warming. On every single item, we saw an increase. Heat stroke went from 14% to 45% of Americans who think it is going to be somewhat or much more common. Air pollution went from 18% to 44%, and so on.

But before we asked that question, we asked people to name any specific health harms of climate change on their own. Generally, very few people can do that. So there is growing recognition, but there is still an important need for education and outreach to make sure people are aware of the risks to their health.

Most people said climate change is harming the health of other Americans, yet far fewer said it is affecting their own. Why do people see it as someone else's problem?

We know that some groups are more vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change, such as pregnant women, babies, older people, people with disabilities and people with low incomes. Some people may feel they do not fall into one of those categories, or that they have not personally experienced this yet. But most people do have a loved one, a family member or community members who do.

At home, my wife and I have an 8-month-old daughter. We live in Brussels at the moment, and the heat waves several weeks ago were extremely scary for us with our baby. Fortunately, she did fine, but we had to monitor her closely to make sure she did not overheat. We were asking ourselves whether we would have to take her somewhere cooler. We made it through, but she also happened to be sick at the time, so it was a stressful experience.

Even for me, someone who researches this, it was not until I experienced what it is like for my baby to face climate and health impacts that it really felt real. Over time, as extreme weather continues to get worse, people are going to see these health harms more and more, not just for the people around them, but for themselves.

Survey takers mentioned heat and air pollution as climate risks, but rarely mental health or the safety of food and water. Why do some health impacts stay off the public's radar?

I would push back a little. About 38% of Americans believe anxiety as a result of global warming will become somewhat or much more common, and depression is close behind at about 37%. So there is some recognition of mental health impacts.

But you are right that heat and air pollution are the most recognized, and that is probably because they feel concrete and close. You just have to step outside during the heat waves we are seeing this summer around the world to recognize how hot it is. Air pollution as well is the air you breathe.

Other impacts require a few more logical steps to connect the dots. We know food safety is affected, so you might recognize that hunger or malnutrition is a health impact of warming. But the heat outside and the air around you are immediate impacts that people can feel.

Where are Americans turning for information about climate change and health, and which sources do they trust most?

We find that first responders, such as firefighters and emergency medical responders, and your primary care doctor are the two most trusted messengers on climate and health. That holds true for both Democrats and Republicans.

Where the two split is on institutions such as the World Health Organization, the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Medical Association. Those institutions face a lot of distrust among Republicans, while trust remains quite high among Democrats.

But the key thing is that first responders and health professionals are trusted across the spectrum. Public health audiences need to realize that health professionals are extremely trusted and can make a real difference in making sure people are aware of the risks to their health and the health of their loved ones.

The 2024 survey found that more Americans mistakenly believe wind and solar power harm their health. Where do those beliefs come from?

This was a little surprising. We see that perceptions that gas harms our health have increased across the country. But we also found that perceptions that wind power and solar power harm health increased among both Democrats and Republicans. That is surprising, because we know that wind and solar do not harm our health and are in fact much safer for our health than fossil fuels.

What is going on here? We cannot say for sure. We did not ask where these views come from. But we hypothesize that this may have to do with misinformation and disinformation, with people spreading false information that renewable energy harms our health. That may have had an effect on audiences across America.

What often gets lost is that climate solutions are also health solutions. Cleaner and healthier transportation, healthier food options. There are a lot of co-benefits, along with economic benefits and job creation, that get missed.

A majority of survey respondents also said federal health agencies should be doing more to protect people from these threats. What does that tell you about where the public stands?

People clearly see a role for government in helping protect people. A majority of Americans want the government to take action to protect their health and the health of their families, friends and communities.

The survey was conducted in December 2024. Given the significant changes we have seen at the federal level since then, it would be interesting to ask these questions again and see what people say.

Is there anything else in the findings you want to highlight?

We know that some groups, such as people with low incomes, people with disabilities and older populations, are more vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change. We do see a substantial number of Americans recognizing that disproportionate impact, and it was good to see that recognition. But there is still a major gap in understanding, and there is room for engaging people.

At the moment, we are doing a new survey looking at how local news reporting shapes climate perceptions. There is a lot of focus on national or international news, but there has been less research on local newspapers, whether they report on climate and health, and how that influences attitudes.

For public health professionals who communicate with the public and with policymakers, what are the main takeaways?

Health professionals are very highly trusted for climate information. So if health professionals just speak up, that is already a big deal.

When communicating about this, first of all, try to connect it to people's everyday lives, to what people care about: their families, their jobs, their hobbies, their finances. We know that global warming is raising home insurance costs and other cost-of-living prices.

Also use storytelling. Talk about your own experiences and the things people have seen, rather than throwing a lot of facts at them. Just talking about experiences can be very powerful.

And engage in conversation. Do not just put facts in front of people. Ask them what they think and what their experiences have been, and try to find common ground.

The interview has been edited for length, clarity and style.

Caption: A woman fans a child on a hot day. Photo by Manuel Rodriguez Sevillano, courtesy iStockphoto