"One in seven Americans think it is definitely (7%) or probably (9%) true that 'God controls the climate, therefore people can't be causing global warming," according to a July 26, 2016, note from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Only half (59%) of the respondents regarded it as probably not (16%) and definitely not (33%) true, with 15% not sure and 20% regarding it as not applying to their beliefs.

Those more likely to agree included evangelical and born-again Christians (30%), people who believe that Earth was created in six days, as described in the Bible (26%), Republicans (26%), and people who do not believe that humans evolved from earlier species (24%). Those least likely to agree included agnostics and atheists (1%), Democrats (9%), people who believe humans evolved from earlier species (9%), and those with a college education (11%).

The data presented derive from a study conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication in a web-based environment from March 18 to March 31, 2016, using an on-line research panel of 1204 American adults, "weighted, post survey, to match US Census Bureau norms." The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3% at the 95% confidence level.