Global warming and climate change: how much do you know about these topics? According to a Yale survey, not very much. The Yale study found that just 63 percent of Americans believe that global warming is happening, but a lot have no clue as to why:
Only 8 percent of Americans have knowledge equivalent to an A or B, 40 percent would receive a C or D, and 52 percent would get an F. The study also found important gaps in knowledge and common misconceptions about climate change and the earth system. These misconceptions lead some people to doubt that global warming is happening or that human activities are a major contributor, to misunderstand the causes and therefore the solutions, and to be unaware of the risks.
It is difficult to square the lack of knowledge about environmental issues with just how important those issues are to most Americans. A Pew Research Center survey, for example, found that a majority of registered U.S. voters rated climate change as a very (42%) or somewhat (26%) important issue in the run-up to the most recent presidential election. In other words, we all know that climate change is a serious matter, we just don’t know anything about it.
Environmental Equity and People of Color
At the same time, right now, lots of us care about equity for people of color. What many of us do not know is the tragedy of their environmentally unsound and unhealthy living conditions. An American Lung Association report found that people of color are three times (!) more likely to live in the most polluted areas of our country. We believe that our readers want to learn more about the intersectional subjects of equity and environmental issues, from a source they can trust. Our response is this comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand resource on climate change, air and water quality, greenhouse gases, sustainability, and more, live here: Kars4Kids Sustainability Resources
Skim the text for a basic understanding of sustainability issues, or go deeper by clicking on the many authoritative links we’ve provided to more in depth information. At the end of each section we offer actionable tips you can take to have a positive impact on the environment and on our world.
We confess we’re pretty proud of what we’ve produced. Please do take a look, and if you like it, we’d love it if you’d share it with your friends and family. Global warming is a serious issue. But a little (or a lot of) knowledge goes a long, long way toward solving one of the most important issues of our time.
