The differences between these two terms do not only reflect in their definitions but also manifest in public reactions when hearing these two terms. For instance, global warming are more likely to generate negative feelings, compared to climate change. Meanwhile, survey data suggests that these two terms have both been politicized, making the strategy to increase using climate change in the public discourse less effective in closing the political division than many scientists hope it to be.
Are these two labels different or similar to the American public? A new study finds that Republicans are more likely to believe in the existence of climate change (74.4%) than global warming (65.5%), whereas Democrats are equally inclined to accept the existence of both (94%). In other words, the difference of these two labels still matters among some Republicans.
The silver lining, though, is that a majority of Republicans believe in the existence, whether it's global warming or climate change.