Environmental Polling Roundup – August 4, 2023
HEADLINES
Navigator – More voters report unusual weather this summer than last summer, especially extreme heat; those affected overwhelmingly blame it on climate change [Release, Deck]
NPR + PBS NewsHour + Marist – Majorities of Americans say that climate change is having a serious impact right now, is affecting their community, and should be prioritized even at the risk of slowing economic growth [Release, Crosstabs]
CBS News + YouGov – Nearly two in three Americans say that their area has been experiencing unusually high temperatures, but Republicans are less likely to acknowledge extreme heat than Democrats [Article, including embedded topline]
The Economist + YouGov – The share of Americans who say that they’ve personally felt the effects of climate change is trending up this summer [Topline, Crosstabs]
Climate Power + Data for Progress – Voters widely agree that clean energy investment will lead to more jobs and economic growth, and overwhelmingly support measures to save consumers money with clean energy [Memo, Crosstabs]
Data for Progress – Most voters approve of the EPA’s proposed new vehicle emissions standards when they learn about them; charging concerns continue to rank as high as costs as a barrier to EV interest [Article, Crosstabs]
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Americans generally recognize that this summer has been unusually warm, but weather denialism is a real problem on the right. Several polls this week find that Americans widely report unusual weather in their local areas – especially extreme heat – and are concerned about the impacts of climate change on their local communities. However, self-identified Republicans are much less likely than other Americans to say that they’re experiencing unusual temperatures or that they’re concerned about extreme weather. This is part of a deliberate strategy by conservative media outlets: if you search for news about “heat waves” on the Fox News website right now, for example, the top results are opinion pieces arguing that this summer’s heat waves are normal and natural. Advocates need to combat this type of disinformation directly by making a persuasive case to conservative audiences that the weather is in fact growing more extreme. It will be much harder to convince the public about the connection between climate change and extreme weather if we let the weather itself become a partisan issue.
- Advocates should leverage both the good will toward clean energy companies and antipathy toward oil and gas companies in our messaging. Navigator finds that voters have overwhelmingly positive impressions of clean energy companies, while the public has mixed-to-negative attitudes about oil and gas companies. Navigator’s polling also shows how we can leverage these attitudes in our communications. They find that voters respond more positively to a proposed shift toward clean energy than a shift away from fossil fuels, and that voters grow more concerned about proposed clean energy rollbacks in Congress when they’re told that the rollbacks are part of a plan that would give more tax breaks to big oil companies that are making record profits.
GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT
- [Clean Energy + Climate Action] 79% of voters support the United States using more clean energy like wind and solar so we can reduce the pollution that causes climate change [Navigator]
- [Clean Energy + Fossil Fuel Companies] Voters have overwhelmingly positive opinions of clean energy companies (72% favorable / 16% unfavorable), while oil and gas companies are underwater (42% favorable / 48% unfavorable) [Navigator]
- [Clean Energy + Costs] 69% of voters agree that “it is important to increase our use of clean energy sources to reduce electric bills and energy costs for American families” [Climate Power + Data for Progress]
- [Clean Energy + Economy] 68% of voters agree that “investing in training our future clean energy workforce will benefit our climate while strengthening our economy” [Climate Power + Data for Progress]
- [Clean Energy + Economy] 65% of voters agree that “investing in clean energy will support thousands of Americans and their families with good-paying jobs” [Climate Power + Data for Progress]
- [Climate Change] 67% of voters say that climate change is a serious problem for Americans today [Navigator]
- [Climate Change] 62% of Americans recognize that climate change is currently affecting their local community [NPR + PBS Newshour + Marist]
- [Extreme Weather] 65% of Americans recognize that their area has experienced unusually high temperatures in recent weeks [CBS News + YouGov]
- [Issue Priority] More Americans name climate change and the environment as the single “most important issue” to them than any other issue aside from inflation/prices, health care, and the economy/jobs [The Economist + YouGov]
FULL ROUNDUP
Navigator – More voters report unusual weather this summer than last summer, especially extreme heat; those affected overwhelmingly blame it on climate change [Release, Deck]
Navigator finds that increasing shares of voters report unusual weather in their area and around the globe, and highlights how advocates can boost support for climate action by leaning into voters’ positivity toward clean energy and negativity toward fossil fuel companies.
Despite partisan polarization, the clear majority of voters say that climate change is a serious problem. Roughly two-thirds of voters say that climate change is at least a “somewhat” serious problem both for Americans today (67%) and for future generations (70%).
Democrats and political independents remain much more likely to recognize the severity of the problem than Republicans. Roughly nine in ten Democrats say that climate change is a serious problem today (89%) and for future generations (90%), and political independents also widely recognize that climate change is a serious problem now (69%) and for the future (77%). Meanwhile, less than half of Republicans call climate change a serious problem either for today’s Americans (42%) or for future generations (46%).
Attitudes about extreme weather are also shaped by partisanship. Navigator finds that seven in ten Americans (71%) say they’re concerned about extreme weather, including large majorities of Democrats (91%) and independents (76%) but only around half of Republicans (47%). These kinds of political divides over extreme weather have unfortunately become the norm as partisans have come to hear “extreme weather” as a proxy for climate change.
More voters report unusual weather this summer than last summer, especially hotter temperatures – and most who are affected blame it on climate change. Just over half of voters (51%) say that weather in their area this summer has been different from past years, a six-point increase from previous Navigator polling last summer (45%). Additionally, nearly three in five (58%) say that weather globally this summer has been different from years past – an eight-point increase from last summer (50%).
Majorities of Democratic and independent voters say that weather this summer has been unusual in their area and globally, while only around two in five Republicans report unusual weather in their area (38%) or at the global level (40%).
Among voters who report unusual weather in their area this summer, hotter weather (79%) is by far the most widely noted change. More direct experiences with wildfires (31%) and droughts (29%) are the next most common differences that voters cite.
Encouragingly, when asked what they blame more for the changes they’ve experienced in the weather, voters are much more likely to attribute these changes to climate change (67%) than to natural weather patterns (16%). Republicans who are experiencing unusual weather, however, are evenly split between blaming climate change (40%) and natural patterns (40%).
Clean energy companies are much more popular than oil and gas companies, and advocates can use this dynamic to their advantage in communications. Consistent with other polling, Navigator finds that clean energy companies are overwhelmingly popular with voters (72% favorable / 16% unfavorable) while oil and gas companies are underwater (42% favorable / 48% unfavorable).
The poll also identifies some clear ways that advocates can use these sentiments to strengthen their communications about climate policy. Voters are 13 points more likely to say that they support the United States “using more clean energy like wind and solar power so we can reduce the pollution that causes climate change” (79% support / 15% oppose) than to say that they support the country “using less fossil fuels like oil and gas so we can reduce the pollution that causes climate change” (66% support / 26% oppose).
The difference here is particularly large among Republican voters, who widely support “using more clean energy” to reduce the pollution that causes climate change (64% support / 28% oppose) even as most Republican voters don’t support “using less fossil fuels” to reduce the pollution that causes climate change (43% support / 49% oppose).
And just as we can boost the appeal of climate action by leaning into voters’ positivity toward clean energy, we can leverage voters’ negative sentiment toward the oil and gas industry to drive up concerns about proposed rollbacks of climate policy.
When voters are told that Republicans in Congress have an energy plan “that would cut investments in clean energy like solar and wind power,” 37% find the plan “very concerning.” Voters are eight points more likely to find the plan “very concerning” when they’re told that the plan would “cut investments in clean energy like solar and wind power but give more tax breaks to the big oil companies that are already making record profits” (45% “very concerning”).
NPR + PBS NewsHour + Marist – Majorities of Americans say that climate change is having a serious impact right now, is affecting their community, and should be prioritized even at the risk of slowing economic growth [Release, Crosstabs]
The latest poll from NPR, PBS NewsHour, and Marist further illustrates the level of public urgency around climate change as Americans deal with another historically hot summer.
The majority of Americans say that climate change is causing a serious impact now. More than half of Americans say that climate change is causing a serious impact right now (55%), while about one-quarter say that the impacts of climate change “won’t happen until sometime in the future” (26%). Only 18% deny that climate change will ever have a serious impact.
Republicans (24%) are much less likely than Democrats (85%) or independents (53%) to say that climate change is currently having a serious impact, though 31% of Republicans expect climate change to have serious impacts in the future – leaving less than half of Republicans (43%) who say that climate change won’t ever have a serious impact.
Most Americans also say that climate change is currently affecting their local community. Just over three in ten Americans (62%) say that their local community is currently being impacted by climate change, including the overwhelming majority of Democrats (86%), the majority of independents (58%), and 37% of Republicans.
The majority of Americans are willing to risk slowing economic growth in order to address climate change. When forced to choose, most Americans agree that addressing climate change “should be given priority even at the risk of slowing economic growth” (53%) over the idea that “economic growth should be given priority, even at the risk of ignoring climate change” (44%).
We generally recommend that advocates avoid this kind of false dichotomy, as plenty of polling shows that Americans believe that climate action will be economically beneficial. Still, the fact that the public says that climate change should be prioritized even at the possible expense of economic growth underlines the growing sense of urgency around the climate crisis.
Partisans disagree sharply on this topic, however, with Democrats prioritizing climate action over economic growth by an 80%-18% margin and Republicans prioritizing economic growth over climate action by a 72%-23% margin. Independents, meanwhile, prioritize climate action (54%) by a 10-point margin over economic growth (44%).
CBS News + YouGov – Nearly two in three Americans say that their area has been experiencing unusually high temperatures, but Republicans are less likely to acknowledge extreme heat than Democrats [Article, including embedded topline]
CBS News and YouGov find that nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) say that their area has experienced unusually high temperatures in recent weeks, though again we see a stark partisan divide in people’s observations of the weather: large majorities of Democrats (78%) and independents (65%) report unusually high temperatures where they live, but only half of Republicans (50%) say that their area has been unusually hot.
Most Americans also say that they’re changing their behavior in response to the heat, as majorities report that they are using more electricity (65%), going outside less often (64%), and advising kids or family to stay indoors more (51%).
Additionally, half of Americans (50%) say that recent high temperatures have made them more concerned about the impact of climate change.
The Economist + YouGov – The share of Americans who say that they’ve personally felt the effects of climate change is trending up this summer [Topline, Crosstabs]
The Economist and YouGov have been tracking Americans’ climate attitudes on a regular basis, and their data indicates that climate concerns have been ticking up as the weather has gotten warmer.
Just over half of Americans (51%) now say that they have personally felt the effects of climate change, up from 47% in mid-June.
The majority of Americans also continue to say that the world’s climate is changing as a result of human activity (57%), which is consistent with the last several months of Economist/YouGov polling.
Climate Power + Data for Progress – Voters widely agree that clean energy investment will lead to more jobs and economic growth, and overwhelmingly support measures to save consumers money with clean energy [Memo, Crosstabs]
Recent polling by Climate Power and Data for Progress finds that voters broadly agree on the economic benefits of clean energy:
- 68% agree that investing in training our future clean energy workforce will benefit our climate while strengthening our economy
- 65% agree that investing in clean energy will support thousands of Americans and their families with good-paying jobs
Voters also believe in the cost-cutting potential of clean energy, and want to see the government incentivize clean energy for the benefit of consumers:
- 79% agree that our government should provide incentives to businesses and consumers that significantly lower the cost of clean energy technologies that save Americans money while reducing pollution
- 70% agree that investing in small businesses and providing clean energy household tax rebates will lower costs for consumers while benefiting our environment
- 69% agree that it is important to increase our use of clean energy sources to reduce electric bills and energy costs for American families
Consistent with what we’ve seen in other polling, Climate Power and Data for Progress find that voters are especially supportive of clean energy when it’s tied to domestic manufacturing.
When told that manufacturers of clean energy technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels are required to use a certain percentage of American-made materials in order to receive government funding, voters support these “Made in America” requirements by an overwhelming 83%-12% margin.
“Made in America” requirements for clean energy technologies are one of the few energy-related topics where we don’t see a partisan divide, as Climate Power and Data for Progress find that Democrats and Republicans support these requirements by identical margins (85% support / 10% oppose).
Additionally, large majorities of voters agree that the country should be expanding the domestic production of clean energy technologies:
- 71% agree that building clean energy infrastructure like battery plants and manufacturing facilities with Made in America goods and jobs will lay the foundation for long-term economic growth
- 70% agree that our government should invest in expanding the production of American-made batteries, electric cars, clean energy, and semiconductor chips for technology, while reducing carbon emissions and lowering clean energy costs
Data for Progress – Most voters approve of the EPA’s proposed new vehicle emissions standards when they learn about them; charging concerns continue to rank as high as costs as a barrier to EV interest [Article, Crosstabs]
The electric vehicle transition is one of the trickiest issues for environmental advocates to communicate about, but this new Data for Progress polling finds that voters respond very positively to stronger EPA vehicle emissions standards when the standards are described in a way that emphasizes reducing pollution and providing flexibility to automakers.
The poll finds a 64%-26% margin of support for new standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles when the standards are described with the following context:
“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed updated standards to reduce air pollution from light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, like cars, pickup trucks and SUVs. These protections would further strengthen existing EPA standards for vehicle emissions, phasing in standards that would increase protections each year over a six-year period for vehicles made between model years 2027 and 2032.
The proposed standards also allow each automaker flexibility to choose what set of pollution control technologies is best suited for their vehicle fleet to meet the standards.”
For heavy-duty vehicle standards, Data for Progress finds a 68%-24% margin of support after the following description:
“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed new, more ambitious standards to reduce carbon pollution from heavy-duty vehicles, like delivery trucks, buses and semi-trucks.
The proposed standards affect vehicles made between model years 2027 and 2032, and allow manufacturers flexibility in developing technologies to reduce climate pollution from heavy-duty vehicles. It also allows manufacturers to participate in a carbon-offset credits program to help meet these pollution reduction standards.”
When it comes to the broader transition, Data for Progress finds that a majority of voters support a “general transition to electric vehicles” (56% support / 41% oppose). There’s a deep partisan split over the issue, as Democrats support the transition by an 80%-16% margin and Republicans oppose it by a 64%-33% margin.
Regardless of partisanship, however, voters don’t want their states to miss out on the economic benefits of the electric vehicle transition. Just over seven in ten (72%) support electric vehicle manufacturing plants being built in their state – including majorities of Democrats (86%), independents (68%), and Republicans (58%).
Consistent with other polling, Data for Progress also finds that concerns about charging infrastructure rank on par with vehicle costs as barriers to consumers’ interest in electric vehicles.
When asked to select their “top concern” about electric vehicles, voters are just as likely to cite concerns about the number of charging stations as the cost of electric vehicles:
- There are not enough available charging stations right now to support electric vehicles – 23%
- Electric vehicles are too expensive – 22%
- Electric vehicle batteries don’t have enough range – 17%
- I cannot add a charging station to my primary residence – 9%
- Transitioning to electric vehicles would eventually lead to a ban on gas-powered vehicles – 8%
- My preferred vehicle will not be available or an electric version won’t be the same – 4%
- Transitioning to electric vehicles would kill jobs – 3%
Related Resources
Environmental Polling Roundup – August 6th, 2021
This post includes a roundup of climate + environment headlines from this week’s public polls, good data points to highlight, and a full roundup including key takeaways from each poll.
Environmental Polling Roundup – August 23rd, 2021
This post includes a roundup of climate + environment headlines from this week’s public polls, good data points to highlight, and a full roundup including key takeaways from each poll.
Environmental Polling Roundup – August 27th, 2021
This post includes a roundup of climate + environment headlines from this week’s public polls, good data points to highlight, and a full roundup including key takeaways from each poll.