Audience: Rural

American voters support policies aimed at addressing climate change. Nearly three in four (71%) voters support requiring 100% of electricity to be renewable by 2050, and almost half would support the federal government helping to pay for the energy transition. Two-thirds of voters (67%) believe that government action on climate change would have positive economic effects (job creation, positioning in the international economy). Most voters also support policies that would implement pollution limits for industry and busines, create stricter fuel efficiency standards for trucks and cars, require private companies to pay a tax on their carbon pollution, and policies that would provide assistance to communities losing jobs in the oil and gas sector. There is also high support for updating infrastructure to withstand climate change and for the infrastructure updates to include pollution targets themselves. Finally, most American voters believe that climate change is affecting agriculture, extreme weather, public health, the US economy, and their family’s health.

In June 2019, the Lab team joined the Climate + Energy Project in Lawrence, KS for a cross-organizational Evidence-based Campaign Planning Workshop. Over the course of 2 days, we covered the following topics, sharing Lab insights with workshop attendees, and facilitating small- and large-group discussions, break-out groups and time to actively workshop campaign plans participants brought in with them. Check out the slide deck on this page, along with the original agenda (which was ultimately further adapted to participants’ needs) here.