The Majority of Catholic Republicans Believe in Climate Change

Pacific Standard ^ | Jun 23, 2015 | J. Wesley Judd

[Gamecock]

Last week, Pope Francis released his long awaited—and preemptively leaked—encyclical, acknowledging climate change as mostly human-induced and cause for drastic transformation on both individual and nationwide levels. It was an unprecedented move by the leader of the Catholic Church, as religiosity has long been linked to lower levels of climate concern. Fortunately, however, the Pope's message will fall on receptive ears.

Researchers at the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication have found that, among religious Republicans—and Republicans are more likely to be religious than Democrats—Catholic Republicans are "more convinced that global warming is happening and human-caused, and are more worried and supportive of climate policies, than are non-Catholic Republicans," the authors write.

In fact, the majority of Catholic Republicans (51 percent) believe global warming is indeed happening, compared to 42 percent of non-Catholic Republicans. Catholic Republicans are also more likely to think global warming is primarily caused by humans than non-Catholic Republicans, although by a smaller margin—36 percent vs. 30 percent. Not surprisingly, those percentages represent the number of Catholic Republicans who are worried about global warming versus non-Catholic Republicans, too.

The researchers also found 71 percent of Catholic Republicans express support of policies that address global warming, such as tax rebates for solar panels or energy efficient vehicles, while only 64 percent of non-Catholic Republicans do.

Their data was collected between fall 2012 and spring 2015 via six nationally representative surveys.

[RedMDer]

The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication looks like a group of climate change alarmist pushing their agenda.

We are pleased to announce a newly published article: Simple Messages Help Set the Record Straight about Scientific Agreement on Human-Caused Climate Change: The Results of Two Experiments.

Human-caused climate change is happening; nearly all climate scientists are convinced of this basic fact according to surveys of experts and reviews of the peer-reviewed literature. Yet, among the American public, there is widespread misunderstanding of this scientific consensus. In this paper, we report results from two experiments, conducted with national samples of American adults, that tested messages designed to convey the high level of agreement in the climate science community about human-caused climate change.

[RedMDer]

The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication looks like a group of climate change alarmist pushing their agenda.

We are pleased to announce a newly published article: Simple Messages Help Set the Record Straight about Scientific Agreement on Human-Caused Climate Change: The Results of Two Experiments.

Human-caused climate change is happening; nearly all climate scientists are convinced of this basic fact according to surveys of experts and reviews of the peer-reviewed literature. Yet, among the American public, there is widespread misunderstanding of this scientific consensus. In this paper, we report results from two experiments, conducted with national samples of American adults, that tested messages designed to convey the high level of agreement in the climate science community about human-caused climate change.

[afsnco]

Weak-minded fools...

[al_c]

I’m Catholic. I’m conservative (that used to make me a Republican). I don’t believe in man made climate change. I do believe the climate changes as it was designed to do since the dawn of creation. We don’t affect it ... it’s a natural cycle.

[markomalley]

Ah, yes. More junk statistics.

Sample Sizes and Margins of error

All samples are subject to some degree of sampling error—that is, statistical results obtained from a sample can be expected to differ somewhat from results that would be obtained if every member of the target population was interviewed. Average margins of error, at the 95% confidence level, are as follows:

• Total Republicans = 2,624, +/- 2 percentage points
• Catholic Republicans = 620, +/- 4 percentage points
• Non-Catholic Republicans = 2,004, +/- 2 percentage points
• Conservative Republicans = 1,807, +/- 2 percentage points
• Catholic conservative Republicans = 392, +/- 5 percentage points
• Non-Catholic conservative Republicans = 1,415, +/- 3 percentage points

And, no Gamecock, I don't blame you for the faults of the article...but geez...

[BeauBo]

“The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication looks like a group of climate change alarmists, pushing their agenda.”

They seem to be a straight political science effort, studying how to best convince people of a certain (Leftist) position. Nothing to do with the science concerning climate change itself

I wonder how much of their funding comes from the public treasury, to pay for these partisan political “studies”.

Just looking for where to best spend Democrat money to peel off votes. Testing to see how effective of a wedge issue this might be them, before they spend their own money.

[RedMDer]

Yes and it doesn’t put much credibility in their ‘polls’.

[BeauBo]

“More junk statistics”

This might be an effort to lead opinion with false polls, rather than reflect real opinion.

They might just be working to exploit the Pope’s Climate Change encyclical for as big of a wedge as they can.

I notice from your graphic that George Mason University, in the swing state of Virginia, also happens to have a “Center for Climate Change Communications”, in addition to Princeton.

Is there some Federal or George Soros effort to establish and fund such centers?

[al_c]

I followed the links of this study trying to find out who was polled and where. Couldn’t find that answer, but found other info … such as half of evangelicals believe the climate change hype as well.

http://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication/article/climate-change-in-the-american-christian-mind

[al_c]

[Alex Murphy]

Being a Catholic Republican I can tell you, we are a small subset of Catholics.

FWIW I've had other FRoman Catholics tell me that politically conservative Catholics compromise a large majority of Catholics in the USA, but your experience matches mine.

[Bigg Red]

+1

[bonfire]

It matches mine as well. My Catholic friends in Ohio were all blue color union. They vote exactly like their parents did without any fact finding or information.

My RC friends in TX vote the same but it’s mostly for gay marriage, abortion and any other leftist BS. They were all celebrating by the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage. Oh, and they LOVE the current pope. My one RC neighbor gushes over him and says ‘it’s ABOUT TIME!’ It’s strange because she claims to be a conservative but she is from the upper crust East Coast. Indoctrinated her entire life in the liberal East RC churches.

[Charles Martel]

Just goes to show how a preponderance of otherwise competent people can be duped.

Yep. Propagandists all deserve to get a bayonet through the neck.

[bonfire]

Of course because they are told NOT to think for themselves because their church will do it for them. Much like all cults, they gulp down the Kool-Aid. The rote, memorized mantras we read/hear everyday is proof of indoctrination and a shallow mindset which is preferable by the Magisterium.

( always think of Quix when I see the “M” word!)

[BeauBo]

Who is paying for this political research on how to best push the Leftist Agenda?

Well, it seems like a good bit comes from the Public Treasury.

The George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication opens it’s Home Page with the declaration: “Climate change is the result of human actions and choices.” Their mission is just to help convince people of that.

They list their funding sources:

Our sincere thanks to the following sponsors for providing major funding:

NASA
National Science Foundation
National Park Service
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment
Town Creek Foundation
Energy Foundation
Rockefeller Family Fund
Linden Trust for Conservation
George Mason University
Linden Trust for Conservation
National Association of County & City Health Officials
Brodeur Partners
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Brownstein Family Foundation
The HELTS Foundation
George Mason University
Prism Public Affairs
The Bergstrom Family (South Carolina)
The Censer Family (Virginia)
Ellen Freudenheim and Daniel P. Wiener (New York)
The Kreps Family (Maryland)
The Maibach Family (Maryland)
Roselyne C. Swig (California)
The Weiss Family (Louisiana & Virginia)
The Hussey Family (Louisiana)
NexGen Energy Partners
The Badt Family (Louisiana)

[MrB]

It also has a lot to do with the works-based soteriology.
You’re “more saved” if you “care about the erf”.

[IrishBrigade]

They believe whatever they are told

I am a Catholic...I don’t believe what I am told by the Pope on climate or economics...

What I do believe, however, is that you are a fool for making such a risible blanket statement about people you know nothing about...

[CynicalBear]

Matthew 5:22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

[Salvation]

This Catholic doesn’t.

Don’t you know an ice age is coming?

There is nothing at all named global warming.