The Jefferson Center’s focus on climate and extreme weather issues brought us to Ohio in early 2015. 70% of Ohioans believe that climate change is occurring, and a strong plurality (49%) believes climate change is mostly caused by humans. Majorities want their political representatives (local, state, federal), corporations, and other citizens to do more to address climate change. However, only 44% think that climate change will impact their families and communities.These results indicate a conflict restraining political and community action on climate change. We’ll work to promote greater understanding of local climate impacts and empower citizens to take action in their communities and direct political action on the state, regional, and national levels.
This project, the Northeast Ohio Climate Engagement Initiative (NOCEI), assessed citizen priorities and interests on the public health, recreational, and economic impacts of climate change and extreme weather. See the results from the discussion here.