Religious Groups' Views on Global Warming

April 16, 2009

Earth Day takes place on April 22 each year. One issue at the center of public discussions about the environment is global warming: whether it is occurring and what its causes might be. An analysis by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life of a 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press examines views on global warming among major religious traditions in the U.S.

Global warming

Data from a Pew Research Center survey conducted April 23-27, 2008, among 1,502 American adults. Results for other religious groups are not reported due to small sample sizes.

Question wording: From what you've read and heard, is there solid evidence that the average temperature on Earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades, or not? [If "yes," ask]: Do you believe that the earth is getting warmer... 1 - Mostly because of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels, OR 2 - Mostly because of natural patterns in the earth's environment? [options rotated]

Note: Statistical analysis indicates that political ideology and partisanship, not religious affiliation, are the main determinants of U.S. public opinion on climate change. A full analysis of public opinion on global warming is available in an October 2009 poll report by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

More Resources

Pew Forum