The latest edition of Florida Atlantic University’s “Florida Climate Resilience Survey” revealed that 90% of Floridians believe climate change is happening, compared to 72% of all Americans according to a recent Yale University survey. The survey included questions on beliefs about climate change, experiences with extreme weather events, and support for climate-related policies. Belief in human-caused climate change has increased among Florida Independents but decreased among Republicans since last fall.
Despite shifting beliefs, the survey found enduring support among Floridians for increased government action to address the consequences of a warming planet. 68% of all respondents want the state government to do more, and 69% want the federal government to do more to address climate change. The urgency to act is driven by the experiences of Floridians with the effects of climate change, making debates over the causes irrelevant.
Among Floridians who believe human activity is the cause of climate change, attitudes have changed based on party affiliations since the last survey. Belief in human-caused climate change increased among those with no party affiliation but decreased among Republicans. The survey also found differences in opinion based on age, with respondents under 50 more likely to believe in human-caused climate change and to support government actions to address its impacts.
The majority of Floridians believe that climate change should be taught in schools, with more than two-thirds of respondents supporting climate education in classrooms in nine out of ten surveys since 2019. Support for climate education was highest among Democrats and independents, but even a majority of Republicans expressed this belief. However, support for solar power as the primary form of energy production for the future decreased, especially among Republican respondents.
Most respondents cited concern for the well-being of future generations as the main reason for their concern about climate change. However, less than half of respondents said they would be willing to pay $10 a month to strengthen Florida’s infrastructure to withstand climate-related hazards. The Florida Climate Resilience Survey has been conducted by the FAU Center for Environmental Studies since October 2019, with the latest edition conducted in both English and Spanish in March 2023. The survey sample consisted of 1,400 Floridians aged 18 and older, with a margin of error of +/- 2.53 percentage points.