Environmental Polling Roundup – November 1, 2024
HEADLINES
YouGov – Harris supporters are much more likely than Trump supporters to say that energy/environment is an important issue to them; while Harris supporters tend to prioritize climate change, Trump supporters tend to prioritize oil and gas development [Article]
ecoAmerica – Americans are more supportive of U.S. investment in renewables than in any other source of energy; only half recognize natural gas a polluting energy source [Website, Report, Topline]
Data for Progress – Voters overwhelmingly support government investment in clean infrastructure projects, and don’t want funding to go to bad actors with histories of pollution [Article, Crosstabs]
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Americans continue to trust VP Harris by a wide margin over Trump on environmental issues, particularly climate change, but are more divided on energy issues. YouGov finds that voters trust Harris far more than Trump to handle the environment and climate change, as has been the case since she entered the race. The picture around energy is more mixed, however, as voters trust Harris much more on renewable energy production and trust Trump much more on producing oil and gas. Additionally, voters are split closely down the middle on which candidate will do a better job of handling energy affordability.
- There are widespread misconceptions that “natural” gas is a clean energy source. ecoAmerica finds that only half of Americans can correctly say that natural gas is responsible for unhealthy air pollution and climate change, far less than for other fossil fuels such as oil and coal. Previous research has shown that the word “natural” in the term “natural gas” contributes to misperceptions that it’s a clean energy source, and we therefore recommend using the terms “methane gas” or “fracked gas” instead.
GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT
- [Clean Energy] 72% of Americans say that the U.S. should spend more on developing wind and solar energy over the next few years, more than for any other energy source [ecoAmerica]
- [Clean Energy] 67% of voters support new funding through the IRA and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for clean infrastructure projects, like solar and carbon capture [Data for Progress]
FULL ROUNDUP
YouGov – Harris supporters are much more likely than Trump supporters to say that energy/environment is an important issue to them; while Harris supporters tend to prioritize climate change, Trump supporters tend to prioritize oil and gas development [Article]
Harris supporters are much more likely to prioritize energy/environmental issues than Trump supporters. One quarter of voters (25%) say that the environment and energy is one of the top three most important issues to them. The economy (70%) continues to be voters’ dominant priority, and is followed in this survey by health care (44%) and immigration (44%).
YouGov finds that energy and the environment is a far more important issue for Harris’s supporters than for Trump’s: around two in five Harris supporters (42%) name energy and the environment as a top-three issue, compared to just 6% of Trump supporters.
Climate change ranks as the top energy/environmental issue for Harris supporters, while oil and gas production is the most important to Trump supporters. When asked to choose the three most important from a set of ten specific issues related to energy and the environment, Harris supporters are most likely to prioritize climate change (67%) and air and water quality (54%). Trump supporters, meanwhile, are most likely to prioritize oil and gas production (65%) and energy affordability (58%).
Voters trust Harris far more than Trump to handle the environment and climate change. As has consistently been the case since she entered the race, voters trust Harris by wide margins over Trump to handle climate change (Harris +26) and the environment (Harris +15).
Voters are more mixed in their attitudes about the candidates on energy issues, as they trust Harris more to produce renewable energy and trust Trump more to produce oil and gas. While voters trust Harris over Trump by a double-digit margin to handle renewable energy production (Harris +15), they also trust Trump by a wide margin to better handle oil and gas production Trump (+20). On other specific topics related to energy and the environment – such as energy affordability, disaster preparedness, and grid modernization – voters are more closely split between the two candidates.
Below are the margins by which voters say that they trust one candidate over the other on each energy/environmental issue that the survey asked about:
- Climate change – Harris +26
- The environment – Harris +15
- Renewable energy production – Harris +15
- Wildlife protection – Harris +9
- Air and water quality – Harris +7
- Energy grid modernization – Harris +3
- Natural disaster preparedness – Even
- Energy affordability – Trump +2
- Land use and zoning – Trump +3
- Agriculture – Trump +4
- Oil and gas production – Trump +20
Harris’s policy platform on energy and environmental issues attracts far broader support than Trump’s. YouGov also asked about 16 different policy proposals related to energy and the environment, including eight that Harris has supported in her policy platform or public statements and eight that Trump has shown support for. (The survey did not indicate which candidate supports which policies.)
Of the eight proposals that Harris has endorsed, all but one earn majority support. Policies to impose tougher penalties on polluters and to increase disaster preparedness are particularly popular:
- Imposing tougher penalties on companies causing environmental damage – 80% support
- Increasing the federal government’s preparedness for climate-related disasters – 77%
- Hiring thousands of Americans to work on projects in clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience – 72%
- Requiring automobiles to meet higher energy efficiency standards – 63%
- Expanding tax credits for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power – 63%
- Cutting greenhouse gas emissions to half of 2005 levels by 2030 – 57%
- Phasing in electric government vehicles, including school buses and the U.S. Postal Service fleet – 54%
- Increasing the royalties that oil and gas companies are charged to drill or mine on public lands – 45%
Of the policies associated with Trump, meanwhile, less than half receive majority backing. However, voters side with Trump in calling to increase production of oil, gas, and nuclear power:
- Increasing domestic oil and gas production – 65% support
- Increasing domestic production of nuclear power – 57%
- Speeding up approval of natural gas pipelines – 55%
- Allowing more drilling on federal land – 48%
- Ending federal subsidies for electric vehicles – 46%
- Reducing restrictions on coal-mining operations – 37%
- Withdrawing support from the Paris Climate Accords – 33%
- Reducing automobile fuel-efficiency standards – 27%
ecoAmerica – Americans are more supportive of U.S. investment in renewables than in any other source of energy; only half recognize natural gas a polluting energy source [Website, Report, Topline]
Americans favor U.S. investment in renewables more than for any other source of energy. As is consistently the case in public polling, ecoAmerica finds that renewables are the most popular energy sources with the American public.
Roughly seven in ten Americans (72%) say that the country should be spending more on research and development of wind and solar over the next few years. A little over half also want to see more spending to develop next generation nuclear energy (56%) and natural gas (52%), while most don’t want to see increased investment in oil (42%) or coal (30%).
Support for developing renewables is also notably cross-partisan. Democrats (79%), independents (74%), and Republicans (65%) are all more likely to say that they want to increase spending on renewables than on any other energy source.
While Americans recognize that oil and coal are polluting energy sources, there is far more confusion around “natural” gas. Around seven in ten Americans can correctly say that oil (70%) and coal (69%) contribute at least “some” to unhealthy air pollution and climate change, while around half believe the same about natural gas (50%) and nuclear energy (49%).
Previous research has shown that the word “natural” in the term “natural gas” contributes to misperceptions that it’s a clean energy source, and we therefore recommend using the terms “methane gas” or “fracked gas” instead.
Americans continue to have positive attitudes about nuclear energy, with reliability, cost effectiveness, energy independence, and climate benefits all seen as important reasons to support it. Public support for nuclear energy has been growing in recent years, and here ecoAmerica finds that most Americans (55%) say that they support nuclear power in general.
When asked about possible reasons to support nuclear energy, around two-thirds of Americans rank each of the following as at least “somewhat” important reasons:
- Nuclear power helps us grow our economy while reducing pollution to our climate and heath – 70% at least “somewhat” important reason to support nuclear energy
- Nuclear power plants should be kept running until lower cost renewable energy becomes available – 70%
- Nuclear power plants generate a lot of our electricity, reliably – 69%
- Nuclear power plants keep America competitive and energy independent – 68%
- Nuclear power plants should be kept running as long as they are cost effective in the long term – 68%
- Nuclear power plants do not emit pollutants that harm our health or our climate compared to alternatives – 67%
Despite positive attitudes about nuclear energy, Americans continue to have broad concerns about its safety and about nuclear waste. Lingering concerns about nuclear energy – particularly around its safety and the radioactive waste it produces – remain common, and are likely preventing Americans from embracing it as much as they do wind and solar.
Majorities say that they have at least “some” concerns about each of the following when it comes to nuclear energy:
- Health and safety – 74% have at least “some” concerns
- Waste disposal – 72%
- Security and/or weaponization – 68%
- Cost – 68%
- Overpopulation and overdevelopment leading to natural habitat loss – 64%
Data for Progress – Voters overwhelmingly support government investment in clean infrastructure projects, and don’t want funding to go to bad actors with histories of pollution [Article, Crosstabs]
Voters widely support investments in clean infrastructure projects like solar farms and carbon capture technology. Around two-thirds of voters (67% support / 23% oppose) support investments in clean infrastructure projects such as solar and carbon capture after reading that the U.S. Department of Energy is awarding funding for these projects following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
These investments earn overwhelming support from Democrats (85%) and independents (69%), and are also supported by half of Republicans (50% support / 38% oppose).
Voters across party lines say that federal funding shouldn’t go to developers that are in violation of environmental or labor laws, particularly clean water and worker safety laws. Large majorities of voters, including 79%+ of Democrats and 65%+ of Republicans, say that developers should be required to be in compliance with each of the following types of laws in order to receive federal funding for clean infrastructure projects:
- Worker safety laws – 83% say that developers should be required to be compliant
- Clean water laws – 80%
- Fair labor laws – 78%
- Clean air laws – 77%
- Civil rights laws – 74%
And after learning that the Department of Energy has awarded funds to developers that are currently in violation of environmental and labor laws, seven in ten voters (71%) – including 70% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans – agree that the Department of Energy should not be giving public funds to developers and companies that are currently in violation of these laws.
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