Belief in Climate Change by Florida Independents Surges in Recent FAU Survey
Highlights
-
- Florida non-party affiliates and those registered with a third party have shown the greatest increase in agreement climate change is largely caused by humans (64%) since last fall (53%).
-
- Floridians remain consistent in their belief that climate change is happening (90%) regardless of the cause, whereas the national belief has dropped slightly (72%) according to a recent study by Yale.
-
- Opinions differed notably between age groups below 50 and those aged 50 and older, with 77% of younger generations wanting more government action compared to 59% of older generations.
-
- Support for solar energy has continued its gradual decline since reaching a peak in September 2022 (62%), with support at 51% as of March 2024.
-
- Overall, Floridians are concerned for the well-being of future generations (68%) with the majority also supporting climate education in K-12 classrooms (67%).
Methodology
CES has conducted the Florida Climate Resilience Survey since October 2019 and now does so every spring and fall. The latest edition was conducted in English and Spanish from March 18-21, 2024. The sample consisted of 1,400 Floridians, ages 18 and older, with a survey margin of error of +/- 2.53 percentage points. The data were collected using an online panel provided by GreatBlue Research. Responses for the entire sample were weighted to adjust for age, race, income, education and gender, according to the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Surveys. It is important to remember that subsets carry higher margins of error. For more information, survey results, and full cross-tabulations, visit www.ces.fau.edu/ces-bepi/ or contact Colin Polsky, Ph.D., at cpolsky@fau.edu.
Editor’s note: FAU’s Center for Environmental Studies manages and provides financial support for The Invading Sea. Banner image: Solar panels on a Florida rooftop (iStock image)
