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A new survey finds Americans are more likely to attribute increasing severity of natural disasters to climate change, rather than a wrathful God.

The Public Religion Research Institute surveyed 1,000 people in March. The poll found that:

  • 56% say God is in control of everything that happens in the world
  • 38% say recent natural disasters are a sign from God
  • 44% say recent natural disasters are proof that we’re entering the “end times”
  • 58% say severity of natural disasters is evidence of global warming

    • PRRI says, not surprisingly, that white Evangelicals and Republicans are a departure from this pattern.

    Climate scientists have long warned that increased heat and moisture in the atmosphere will lead to more severe weather. And recently, scientists have developed methodology that quantifies the role of global warming in isolated weather events.

    The findings are particularly interesting given recent polls finding declining concern about climate change among Americans.

    (h/t Denver Post, via Politico’s Morning Energy)

    Photo by Peter Baer via Creative Commons

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    Ken Paulman

    Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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