Science knowledge influences Democrats', but not Republicans' expectations for climate change harm % of U.S. adults who say each of these is very likely to occur because of climate change Rising sea levels that erode Rising beaches and shorelines Storms become more severe Damage to forests and plantlife More droughts or water shortages
These political orientations appear to serve as an anchoring point for how knowledge influences peoples’ attitudes. This pattern is consistent with an array of scholarly literature which suggests that people’s political worldviews shape how science knowledge influences attitudes on climate-related matters.
People’s level of science knowledge helps to a degree to explain their beliefs about climate change, but the relationship is complicated. While there are wide political divides in public views of the potential for harm from climate change. A majority of Democrats holding medium or high levels of science knowledge said it was “very likely” that climate change would lead to rising sea levels that erode beaches and shore lines, harm to animal wildlife and their habitats, damage to forests and plant life, storms that are more severe, and more droughts or water shortages. But there are no differences or only modest differences among Republicans holding high, medium and low science knowledge levels in their expectations of harms to the Earth’s ecosystems because of climate change.
Science knowledge influences Democrats', but not  | Republicans' expectations for climate change harm  | % of U.S. adults who say each of these is very likely to occur because of  | climate change  | Rising sea levels that erode  | Harm to animal wildlife and habitats  | Rising beaches and shorelines  | Republican  | Democrat  | Republican  | Democrat  | Among those  | Among those  | Among those  | Among those  | with  | science  | with  | science  | with  | science  | with  | science  | know. ledge  | knowledge  | know. edge  | knowledge  | 75  | 73  | 62  | 61  | 36  | 33  | 31  | 27  | 26  | 25  | 27  | 27  | Low Med High  | Low Med High  | Low Med. High  | Low Med. High  | Storms become more severe  | Damage to forests and plantlife  | 74  | 72  | 60  | 57  | 37  | 36  | 33  | 30  | 27  | 29  | 24  | 19  | Low Med. High  | Low Med High  | Low Med High  | Low Med High  | More droughts or water shortages  | 71  | 60  | 43  | 30  | 29  | 17  | Low Med High  | Low Med High  | Note: Republicans and Democrats include independents and other nonpa rtisans who "lean  | toward the parties Science knowledge 10-June based on nine- item index  | Source: Survey conducted May 10-June 6. 2016.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 