Perceptible climate warming amplifies how education increases climate concern in the US

Among the strongest predictors of climate change awareness in the US, outside partisan filters, is education level. Here we show how, in the US, perceptible climate warming increased the effect that education has on climate concerns. Our interpretation is that education equips individuals with the ability to understand and contextualize observed climate changes. When individuals perceive warming, education enhances their capacity to connect these experiences to broader climate science, leading to greater concern. As a result, the more pronounced the local warming, the stronger the relationship between education and climate concern.