Map of the Month

Each month a new map is presented to the Commission to help explain important trends in the Bay Area, across the nation and around the world. These custom-crafted maps are prepared by MTC’s Data & Visualization team.

U.S. Counties Where Adults Discuss Global Warming At Least Occasionally

This month’s map is based on a recently published New York Times article, which found that on average, only 33% of Americans discuss global warming at least occasionally with friends and family and up to 31% never do. As shown in the map, there are distinct regional patterns. Americans in the Western US, many of whom have been affected by drought and wildfire, are more likely to iscuss climate change. Similarly, Americans residing in the New England states talk more about climate as well as those living in coastal South Carolina – states battered by many hurricanes over the years. Aside from Southeast Florida however, the rest of the Atlantic Coast is less likely to engage in climate discussions despite recent increases in global warming related flooding. As the article highlights, global warming is precisely the kind of threat humans are awful at dealing with due to its slow- moving and abstract nature.