The Six Disasters Climate Deniers Don’t Think Are True

By Douglas McIntyre  •  July 20, 2026
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Despite overwhelming information that shows climate change has increased dangerous events both in terms of frequency and magnitude about a quarter of the U.S. population are “climate deniers.’ “A climate denier is a person who rejects the scientific consensus that human activities are causing changes in the Earth’s climate,” according to the Center for American Progress.

A University of Michigan study shows about 15% of Americans do not think climate change is real. Among the members of the 119th Congress, 119 are climate deniers. That is out of a universe of 535, or 22%.

From July 2 to July 5, Data For Progress has a poll about climate change in the field. Unlike some other surveys, this covered only likely voters. The primary question was “Would you say the number of extreme weather events, like hurricanes, flash floods, droughts, or heat waves, has increased, decreased, or stayed the same over the past five years?” Twenty-five percent said “no.”

The study went on to ask about specific events. 

The first among these was “heat waves.” Twenty five percent said “no.” Twenty-seven said “no” to “wildfires”. Twenty-seven said “no” to “drought.” Twenty-seven said “no” to “flooding”. Twenty-nine percent said “no” to “hurricanes” Twenty-nine percent said “no” to “thunderstorms and hailstorms.”

Data For Progress made the point that the poll was taken during a period when many parts of the country were posting daytime temperatures 20 to 30 degrees F above average and several major cities reached record highs.

What are the negative effects of climate denial? Primarily, it affects organizations’ ability to move forward with efforts to stop or slow global warming. This includes undermining support to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for damage. And, people who deny climate change are more likely to get elected.

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