Oct 30, 2023 - News

Most Floridians believe climate change is happening, survey finds

Animated illustration of the world as a ringing alarm clock.

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Nearly all Floridians believe climate change is happening, per a new survey from Florida Atlantic University.

What's happening: The poll of 1,400 Floridians found that 90% of respondents believe climate change is underway.

The intrigue: That's more than the rest of the country, according to a recent Yale poll that found the American consensus to be about 74%.

  • "Floridians might be more likely to believe climate change is happening due to their experiences with hurricanes and other extreme weather," Colin Polsky, the founding director of FAU's School of Environmental, Coastal and Ocean Sustainability, said in a news release.
  • The survey also found that Floridians want to see government action to address the impacts of our changing climate, with 69% of respondents supporting state action and 70% in favor of federal action.

Yes, but: There was far less agreement about the cause. About 57% of respondents said human activity causes climate change, while a third said it's caused by natural changes in the environment.

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