Global Warming Survey
From April 25 to May 3, 2006, members of the Mount St. Mary's University community were asked to complete an online survey about their attitudes and opinions regarding global warming. The survey was sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program and the Environmental Club, and was conducted during the campus celebration of Earth Week. Survey participants were given the opportunity to enter a drawing to win a prize (the DVD "The Day After Tomorrow" and a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream). It is important to note that the participants in this survey do not represent a random or unbiased sample of the Mount community.
Special thanks to the Office of Institutional Research for implementing the web survey!
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Characteristics of the survey participants
Questions: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Characteristics of the survey participants
Two hundred responses were received. One hundred thirty six respondents (68%) were female. Seventy-two percent of the respondents (144) were undergraduate students (Figure 1). Of the undergraduate students, the majority were freshmen (56%; Figure 2). Students in the BIOL 111 course (primarily freshmen) received extra credit for completing the survey. While biology majors represented the largest group of undergraduate respondents (20 or 28%), a wide variety of majors (25) and minors (20) were represented (Table 1 and Table 2).
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Survey Results
Question 1: The earth is undergoing global warming caused by natural forces, but the degree of warming is and has been magnified by human activities, such as fossil fuel burning releasing
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
85% of respondents strongly agree or agree with this statement (Figure 3).
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Question 2: Scientists use climate models to simulate future climate change. These models naturally have some level of uncertainty in their predictions, although the degree of uncertainty has decreased with advancements in technology over the last decade. Current models predict an increase in mean annual temperature of 2 degrees to 6 degrees Centigrade in the next 100 years. To what extent do you agree that this prediction warrants concern about emission levels of greenhouse gases?
71% of respondents strongly agree or agree with this statement (Figure 4 ).
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Question 3. How strongly do you agree that each of the following will be impacts of global warming on humans and ecosystems?
Impact |
Percent "strongly agree" or "agree" responses |
| a. sea level rise due to thermal expansion of water and melting of glaciers and polar ice caps |
77 |
| b. increased frequency of extreme weather events (e.g., hurricanes, droughts, floods, etc.) |
70 |
| c. increased spread of vector-borne tropcial diseases (e.g., malaria) |
50 |
| d. increase in heat-related deaths |
58 |
| e. decrease in biodiversity |
53 |
| f. depletion of freshwater resources due to decreased precipitation, increased evaporation and/or increased salinization |
60 |
For full results, see Figure 5.
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Question 4: To what extent do you agree that global warming will negatively impact future generations?
80% of respondents strongly agree or agree with this statement (Figure 6).
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Question 5: Many countries have signed the Kyoto Protocol, which strives to decrease greenhouse gas emissions causing global warming. To what extent do you agree with the following reasons for the United States refusing to join this treaty?
Reason |
Percent "strongly agree" or "agree" responses |
| a. global warming is not a serious enough threat to warrant such drastic and expensive action |
14 |
| b.the treaty does not require certain developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions |
23 |
| c.regardless of the imminence of the threat of global warming, reducing greenhouse gas emissions would cripple our economy |
21 |
For full results, see Figure 7.
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Question 6:To what extent do you agree with the United States' decision to refuse to join the Kyoto Protocol?
15% of respondents strongly agree or agree with the United States' decision to refuse to join the Kyoto Protocol (Figure 8).
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Question 7: How strongly do you feel that each of the following constituencies should take an active role in dealing with global warming?
Question 8: How strongly do you feel that each of the following constituencies is taking an active role in dealing with global warming?
Constituency |
Percent "strongly agree" or "agree" responses |
this group should take an active role
|
this group is taking an active role |
| a. you, personally |
81 |
46 |
| b. local government |
85 |
24 |
| c. state government |
89 |
29 |
| d. federal government |
89 |
30 |
| e. international (e.g., United Nations) |
88 |
49 |
| f. industry/corporations |
93 |
19 |
| g. nonprofit organizations |
83 |
49 |
| h. other (click here for the "other" responses) |
For full results, click here.
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Question 9. Please list any actions that you could do (or are doing) personally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and therefore reduce the threat of global warming.
For full list of responses, click here.
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