A recent survey conducted by the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs reveals that while the majority of Houstonians acknowledge the reality of climate change, there is a significant lack of consensus regarding its causes.
The study, published on Wednesday, found that only 3.7% of respondents outright denied the existence of climate change. Moreover, many participants expressed concern over the consequences of climate change, with a substantial portion believing it will have harmful effects on their lives as well as on future generations.
The survey results highlighted a political divide in understanding the source of climate change. More than 48% of Democrats surveyed attributed climate change primarily to human activities, while only about 13% of Republicans shared this viewpoint.
Assistant Professor Maria P. Perez Arguelles, the lead author of the study, commented on the implications of these findings. “The political gap reflects the respective parties’ legislative approach to the issue in Texas,” she stated. “While Republican lawmakers have focused on bills that enhance the power grid or reliability of energy supply, efforts targeting renewable energy development and measures aimed at expanding wind and solar installations have not gained legislative traction.”
There was some agreement across party lines regarding the causes of climate change. A nearly equal number of respondents from both demographics—37.6% of Republicans and 38.1% of Democrats—believed that climate change results from a combination of human and natural changes.
Interestingly, this survey was published just a day after President Donald Trump labeled climate change a “con job” during his address at the United Nations General Assembly, despite overwhelming scientific evidence linking fossil fuel consumption to rising global temperatures, which pose serious risks to human health.
Asked about the personal impact of climate change, the Hobby School survey revealed that 25.2% of Houstonians feel it will harm them “a great deal,” while 40.6% believe it will affect them “a moderate amount.” Only a small fraction, 10.7%, thought they would not be harmed at all.
Respondents appeared to be more concerned about the implications for future generations. When quizzed about potential harm to subsequent generations, a significant majority—58.7%—indicated they believe it would harm them “a great deal,” with just 7.5% expressing the view that it would not affect future generations at all.
As for the primary drivers of climate change, 40.3% of respondents stated they believe it is “mostly caused by human activities and natural changes in the environment,” while 32.6% attributed it mainly to “human activities.”
Additionally, nearly 14% of those surveyed believed climate change is primarily due to “natural changes in the environment,” and 3.7% rejected the notion that climate change is occurring altogether. The survey found that less than 10% of respondents reported uncertainty or lack of knowledge on the subject.
Among those who acknowledged climate change, a considerable portion—57.7%—believed the oil and gas industry is “somewhat responsible,” while another 26.2% rated the industry as “very responsible” for the phenomenon.
With a sample size exceeding 1,500 and a margin of error of 2%, this survey presents a detailed snapshot of Houston residents’ perspectives on climate change and its diverse interpretations.
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