Global-warming deniers on the rise

An increasing number of Americans do not believe that global warming is happening.

A new study by researchers at Yale and George Mason universities shows a 7 percent increase (now up to 23 percent) since spring 2013 in the number of Americans who say they do not believe that global warming is occurring, according to Grist.org. Additionally, the number of Americans who believe global warming is caused by humans has gone down by 7 percentage points (to 47 percent) since 2012.

“Beginning in September … there was considerable media attention to the concept of the ‘global warming pause,’” said George Mason’s Ed Maibach. “It is possible that this simple—albeit erroneous—idea helped to convince many people who were previously undecided to conclude that the climate really isn’t changing.”