Extreme Weather Events, Acceptance of Climate Science On the Rise

Extreme Weather Events, Acceptance of Climate Science On the Rise

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Severe droughts in Texas and the Great Plains. Hurricane Irene sweeping the Eastern Seaboard. Tornadoes in the Midwest, and floods in Mississippi. Record-breaking temperatures across the U.S. With such widespread madness, it’s no surprise that the majority of Americans say they have personally experienced an extreme weather event or natural disaster in the past year.

That’s according to a new nationally representative survey that also found a majority of Americans say U.S. weather is getting worse. Furthermore, a large majority of Americans think global warming made several high-profile weather events even worse. The results, which are part of a long-term project at Yale, suggest global warming is becoming less of a “down the road” and “out of sight” issue and more of a “here and now” problem in the minds of Americans.