Environmental activists have long espoused individual efforts such as recycling or opting to bike instead of drive as key to tackling climate change. Corporations themselves have even gotten in on pushing this mindset, with companies like BP using public relations strategies to deflect blame for climate change away from the oil industry. But a new study suggests there’s a shifting understanding of who’s responsible for dealing with our overheating planet.

A new poll from the Associated Press and NORC — a public affairs research organization at The University of Chicago — found that well over 60 percent of Americans think that governments and companies have a large responsibility to take on climate change. Though the survey results indicate that Americans are becoming wise to these diversion tactics from large corporations, completely abandoning personal responsibility could come with unintended consequences.

—Kimberly Nicholas  Sustainability professor, Lund University in Sweden

I think sometimes there’s this really counterproductive narrative of, you know, throwing up my hands and saying, ‘Well, nothing I do can matter.’

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Although the findings seem pretty dark, there could be an upside to people realizing they don’t have to shoulder the blame for climate change.

People doubt their actions affect climate change. Is that a bad thing?

More Americans are blaming corporations, not individuals, for the climate crisis, a new poll shows.

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By Kate Yoder

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