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Environmental Polling Roundup – September 30th, 2022

David Gold David Gold

HEADLINES

KEY TAKEAWAYS

GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT

FULL ROUNDUP

FiveThirtyEight + Ipsos

Majorities recognize that climate change is human-caused and affecting the weather both on a global scale and in their area; Americans underestimate how much public agreement there is on the issue (Article, Release, Full Report)

This new poll of U.S. adults finds that clear majorities of Americans recognize that humans are causing climate change and that it is affecting people today through its impact on the weather:

The majority who recognize that climate change will make hurricanes more severe is especially notable as the survey was fielded before Hurricane Ian made landfall in the Caribbean.

The poll also finds that there is a sizable gap between the percentage of Americans who recognize that climate change is caused entirely or mostly by human activities (63%) and the percentage who believe that most Americans recognize that climate change is caused entirely or mostly by human activities (45%). In other words, the American public underestimates how much it agrees on this issue. 

Increasing understanding that most Americans agree about human-caused climate change is important for several reasons: it can make people more comfortable discussing the issue with others, it can establish concern about climate change as a societal norm, and it can provide a permission structure for people in groups that lag in recognizing human-caused climate change to reconsider their opinions. 

Consistent with all other recent polling on climate change, FiveThirtyEight and Ipsos find that self-identified Republicans in particular are less likely than the rest of the country to accept that humans are causing climate change and to support action on the issue. Additionally, the poll finds that Americans – regardless of party affiliation – are inclined to incorrectly believe that climate change “impacts all Americans equally, regardless of race or income.”

Pulling from the release, with emphasis added in bold:

“Most Americans believe humans are entirely or mostly causing climate change, with large differences based on party affiliation.

Many Americans report already experiencing the impacts of climate change. However, a majority (regardless of party) fail to recognize the disproportionate impact climate change has on Americans based on their race or income.

Americans prefer a mitigation approach to climate change over one that focuses on adaptation, though this varies among partisans.

Climate Power

Spanish-speaking Latinos in major Spanish markets are widely supportive of climate action, but are hearing misinformation about its economic impacts (Release)

This new survey sampled Spanish-speaking Latinos in eight major Spanish markets across the United States – including both political battleground states (AZ, CO, GA, NM, and NV) and specific, heavily-Hispanic geographies (the Los Angeles Metro, Miami Metro, and Rio Grande Valley). 

The survey finds high levels of support for climate action in general and the Inflation Reduction Act specifically among Spanish-speaking Latinos in these markets. However, the polling also shows that Spanish-speaking Latinos in these areas are being reached with a lot of misinformation about climate change – particularly through social media, and particularly with misinformation around the economic impacts of climate action. 

Pulling from the release, with emphasis added in bold:

“Spanish-speaking Latinos are receptive, and expect to see action taken, to address climate change, even in the face of disinformation. Polling finds overwhelming support for climate action among Spanish-speaking Latinos across all demographics, with 81% overall who believe it is crucial or very important for the government to take action to slow or reduce the effects of climate change. In total, 83% of Spanish-speaking Latinos have a favorable view of what the Inflation Reduction Act will do, including 74% of conservative Latinos…

Disinformation messages framed around job loss and higher costs are most concerning among the Spanish-speaking Latino audience…. The most prominent piece of disinformation that Spanish-speaking Latinos believe is that transitioning away from oil and gas will mean eliminating millions of jobs (57% mostly true or more true than false), followed by a concern over higher prices and inflation as a result of transitioning into clean energy (49%).

A second prominent disinformation message requiring pushback is that climate change is just a naturally occurring cycle and not man made. Half of  Spanish-speakers have both heard and believe that climate change is a naturally occurring cycle in which the earth gets hotter or colder every 11,000 years…

This disinformation narrative is getting through to younger Spanish-speaking Latinos far more widely compared to other age groups. When asked, nearly 6 out of 10 younger Latinos have heard of this message and believe it to be true or likely true, by more than a 20-percentage point margin compared to Spanish-speaking Latinos above 30. 58% of younger Latinos have heard this message compared to 52% of 30-49-year-olds and 38% of Latinos over 50. Meanwhile 63% of young Latinos believe this to be true or likely true compared to 42% of 30-49-year-olds and 40% of Latinos over 50.…

The most common sources of climate disinformation among Spanish-speaking Latinos differ across age groups but are primarily online, not conservative TV channels like Fox News. When respondents were asked where they had mostly heard, read, or seen the tested disinformation statements:

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) + NORC

Americans across party lines want to protect marine areas from fossil fuel extraction and other commercial activities, as the public widely agrees on the importance of reducing water pollution and preserving marine species (Release, Full Report, Topline)

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) and the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago find that there are encouraging levels of agreement on the need to better protect marine areas from fossil fuel extraction and other threats. 

The majority of Americans (55%) believe that the federal government is doing “too little” to protect the ocean, and overwhelming majorities – including majorities of Democrats, independents, and Republicans – support each of the following priorities:

Cross-partisan majorities also support each of the following proposals for marine conservation:

The survey also finds that Americans are more likely to support ocean conservation efforts if there is evidence that the damage to ocean health is permanent or impacts human health. When asked how much of an impact different types of evidence would have in convincing them to support ocean conservation efforts, three-fifths (60%) say that evidence of permanent damage and evidence that the quality of ocean health directly impacts human health and well-being would have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of impact in convincing them.

Additionally, a majority (55%) say that evidence that ocean conservation efforts will help address climate change would have either “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of impact in persuading them to support these efforts

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