A survey conducted in late July by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research queried 1,165 Americans about their views on climate change and heat impacts. The results indicate a declining proportion of adults accepting the reality of climate change, with 66 percent expressing belief in its occurrence, representing a decrease from 73 percent who held that view in September 2025. Approximately 17 percent of respondents expressed uncertainty about climate change, while 15 percent rejected the concept entirely.
Despite the decline in climate change acceptance, the survey found that substantially more Americans reported experiencing direct consequences from extreme heat in their daily lives. Thirty percent of participants cited a major impact on outdoor activities from excessive heat, compared to 21 percent in July 2024. The proportion reporting major heat impacts on vacation and travel plans doubled from 8 to 15 percent year-over-year. Additional areas affected included exercise routines, sleep quality, and commuting patterns. Regional variations emerged, with Western respondents reporting higher rates of heat impact at 35 percent. Democratic respondents were more likely than Republican respondents to describe significant heat effects on their activities.
Climatologists at Virginia Tech University estimated that as of May, approximately 60 percent of the United States experienced drought conditions, with 20 percent facing extreme drought. Particularly affected regions included Colorado and the Southeast. The La Nina climate pattern contributed to drying conditions in the Pacific Northwest earlier in the year. Multiple heat domes have affected the nation, prompting expert warnings about increased wildfire risk, agricultural threats, and strain on infrastructure including electrical grids.
Electricity bills emerged as a significant concern, with 81 percent of survey respondents reporting heat-related impacts on their utility costs, up from 69 percent in July 2024. Scientists have documented that Earth’s average temperature in 2025 ranked among the three warmest years on record. The CDC attributes more than 1,220 annual deaths to heat-related causes, with 2023 representing a particularly severe year when approximately 2,300 heat-related deaths occurred, marking the highest count in 45 years of record-keeping.
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