When people feel climate change in their own backyards warmer winters, earlier springs, more extreme heat they tend to take it more seriously. But simply experiencing the weather shift isn’t always enough. A new study shows that higher education plays a crucial role in helping people make sense of the warming they’re experiencing, especially in colder regions where changes are more noticeable.
Anthropologist and social scientist R. Alexander Bentley, along with colleague Ben Horne, analyzed data across over 3,000 U.S. counties to explore how education levels and real-life temperature changes interact to shape climate concern. The findings suggest that it’s the combination of both perceptible warming and education that leads to a deeper awareness and concern about climate change.
Education Turns Experience into Understanding
People tend to trust what they see frozen lakes thawing earlier, flowers blooming sooner winters shortening. But how they interpret those signs depends on what they already know.
In their research, Bentley and Horne combined U.S. Census data (on education), NOAA temperature records and Yale’s climate opinion survey. They found that in northern states like Vermont, Maine, and Michigan where climate shifts are more obvious higher education significantly boosted concern about global warming.
In contrast in warmer southern states like Texas or Mississippi, where small temperature increases may be less noticeable, the effect of education on climate concern was weaker.
This suggests that education doesn’t automatically create concern. But it gives people the tools to connect the dots to link unusual weather patterns to global climate change especially when those changes are visible and felt.
Politics and Perception
The study also asked whether political ideology might be shaping attitudes. After accounting for local political leanings, the results still pointed to perceptible warming as the key trigger not politics.
There were some exceptions. Despite being cold states experiencing climate shifts North and South Dakota showed low concern even among the educated. A likely reason? Their economies are tied closely to fossil fuels, which may shape local views on climate action.
A Generational Shift
Decades ago climate change was mostly a scientific prediction. Seasons felt stable, and the urgency felt distant. But today’s younger generations are growing up in a climate-changed world with visible, often alarming, signs all around.
From historic heat waves to unusual snow patterns and rising sea levels, young people are living through the new climate normal. Their exposure to change and growing interest in science and sustainability means that higher education could play an even bigger role in the years ahead helping them understand the world and possibly motivating stronger action.
Climate concern doesn’t come from education alone. And it doesn’t always grow from just feeling the heat. But when people experience climate change firsthand and have the educational background to understand it their concern grows and so might their willingness to act.