LCV + Climate Power – Voters are inclined to support the Biden administration’s clean energy policies; advocates can bolster this good will by illustrating progress (new jobs and projects) and communicating about key benefits for public health, energy independence, the economy, and cost savings (Release, Memo, Deck)
Yale + George Mason – The steady majority of Americans recognize that humans are causing global warming, and nearly half say that they’ve been personally impacted; Americans tend to believe that global warming is affecting the weather, especially in the cases of extreme heat, droughts, and wildfires (Release, Full Report)
The Economist + YouGov – Americans who have experienced unusual winter weather agree that climate change is a factor (Topline, Crosstabs)
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Public health and energy independence are the most salient benefits of the Biden administration’s clean energy policies. New polling by LCV and Climate Power about the Biden administration’s clean energy plan finds that voters rank its benefits for energy independence and public health as more important than other factors such as its impacts on the climate, economy, and cost savings (though climate remains the most salient factor for Democratic voters). While health benefits have long polled as one of the most compelling aspects of the clean energy transition, energy independence appears to have become a much more salient factor following the energy crisis last year.
The public needs to hear that new clean energy jobs are going to be good, high-paying jobs that are accessible to everyday Americans. LCV and Climate Power find that the most persuasive jobs-related proof points in favor of the Biden administration’s clean energy plan are that it will create good-paying jobs with benefits, that it will create jobs for workers without college degrees, and that it will create jobs for rural and suburban Americans (not just those in big cities). Voters rank these benefits as more important than other commonly cited jobs-related benefits, such as the sheer number of jobs that will be created or the fact that the plan will make the United States more competitive with China in the global economy.
Americans are more inclined to believe that hot, dry weather events are linked to climate change than other types of extreme weather. A newly released report from Yale and George Mason finds that most Americans believe the weather is being impacted to some degree by global warming. When asked about potential links between global warming and different types of extreme weather, Yale and George Mason find that Americans perceive relatively strong relationships between global warming and extreme heat, droughts, and wildfires. Meanwhile, Americans are relatively less convinced that the weather is impacting other types of extreme weather such as hurricanes, tornados, or floods.
GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT
[Climate Change] Americans who recognize that global warming is happening outnumber those who deny that it’s happening by a greater than four-to-one margin (70% to 16%) [Yale + George Mason]
[Climate Change] 63% of Americans say they feel a personal sense of responsibility to help reduce global warming [Yale + George Mason]
[Climate Change + Weather] Three in five Americans (60%) recognize that global warming is affecting weather in the United States; when asked about specific types of extreme weather, more than two-thirds agree that global warming is affecting extreme heat (70%), droughts (70%), wildfires (70%), and water shortages (68%) [Yale + George Mason]
[Climate Change] Nearly three in five Americans (58%) recognize that global warming is mostly caused by humans [Yale + George Mason]
[IRA/IIJA] 76% of voters feel favorably about upgrading the electricity grid as a component of the Biden administration’s clean energy plan, including 47% who feel “very” favorably about this aspect of the plan [LCV + Climate Power]
[IRA/IIJA] 72% of voters feel favorably about creating new jobs and job training in clean energy industries as a component of the Biden administration’s clean energy plan, including 44% who feel “very” favorably about this aspect of the plan [LCV + Climate Power]
[IRA/IIJA] 62% of voters believe that the Biden administration’s clean energy plan will have a positive impact on the United States [LCV + Climate Power]
[IRA/IIJA] 61% of voters believe that the Biden administration’s clean energy plan will have a positive impact on the availability of good-paying jobs for American workers [LCV + Climate Power]
[IRA/IIJA] 61% of voters believe that the Biden administration’s clean energy plan will have a positive impact on the country’s energy security [LCV + Climate Power]
[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]
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.
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.
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.
