Abigail Snyder, Elena Tsvetkova, Suraj Kunthu

Summer 2023

• seaborn: 0.12.2
• pandas: 2.0.2
• matplotlib: 3.7.0
• NumPy: 1.22.1
• bambi: 0.12.0
• arviZ: 0.12.1

The objective of this analysis is to uncover how demographic factors influence opinions regarding climate change. This investigation aims to provide insights that could potentially contribute to the development of effective educational and policy strategies concerning climate change awareness and environmental sustainability. The central question driving this project is: To what extent does demographic information, including income, age, gender, religion, marital status, and education, contribute to shaping viewpoints on climate change?

To address this question, we conducted a comprehensive examination of the relationship between demographic variables and opinions on climate change. By systematically analyzing a diverse dataset encompassing the previously mentioned predictors, we aimed to find meaningful patterns in the response happening. Through statistical model-based approaches, we analyzed the model performance of these demographic influences on climate change opinions. These findings could potentially provide insights into the ways in which different demographic segments perceive climate change issues. These insights could serve as a valuable resource for policymakers and educators seeking to cater their policies to resonate better with specific demographic groups. By understanding the complex relationship between demographics and opinions on climate change, we attempt to contribute to a more informed approach to environmental awareness and, potentially, sustainable practices.

The chosen data set is survey data from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication & George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. The survey data catalogs American adults, ages 18 and over, and their beliefs, attitudes, and policy opinions regarding global warming from 2008 through 2022. The data includes demographic data from the U.S. Census regarding gender, race and ethnicity, and level of education. All the data is in categorical form and stored as a ‘.SAV’ file. Along with the data set there is a Survey Methods PDF which functions as a codebook for the data. The total weighted sample size of the entire dataset is (n=30,136). There are 30,136 observations and 54 features.

The citations for this data are below:

• Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) & George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication (Mason 4C). (2022). Climate Change in the American Mind: National survey data on public opinion (2008-2022) [Data file and codebook]. doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/JW79P

• Ballew, M. T., Leiserowitz, A., Roser-Renouf, C., Rosenthal, S. A., Kotcher, J. E., Marlon, J. R., Lyon, E., Goldberg, M. H., & Maibach, E. W. (2019). Climate Change in the American Mind: Data, tools, and trends. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 61(3), 4-18. doi: 10.1080/00139157.2019.1589300