BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Climate change, despite impacting everyone in some way, is a deeply divisive issue, particularly with regard to how much responsibility should be placed on human behavior and to what degree the U.S. government should step in to mitigate our role in the crisis.
Age, race, political affiliation, and geography are just some of the factors that contribute to differing, often opposing attitudes on climate change.
Roughly 82% of Democrats see climate change as a critical threat compared to just 16% of Republicans.
According to data from a 2020 survey done by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, here are some statistics about how people in Bakersfield feel about climate change.
Bakersfield, CA climate opinions
– 69.6% think global warming is happening
— 2.4% less than national average
– 54.2% think global warming is caused mostly by humans
— 2.8% less than national average
– 59.4% are somewhat/very worried about global warming
— 3.6% less than national average
– 65.9% think global warming will harm future generations
— 5.1% less than national average
– 43.6% think global warming will harm them personally
— 0.6% greater than national average
Metros where the most people think global warming is happening
#1. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: 84.4% think global warming is happening
#2. Ithaca, NY: 83.0%
#3. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: 82.7%
#4. Urban Honolulu, HI: 82.5%
#5. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 82.2%
Metros where the fewest people think global warming is happening
#1. Cullman, AL: 49.4% think global warming is happening
#2. Point Pleasant, WV-OH: 50.7%
#3. Central City, KY: 52.0%
#4. Craig, CO: 53.3%
#5. Gillette, WY: 53.6%
