Issue: Climate Policy

Many corporations and governments are advancing “net zero” climate plans that fail to provide real solutions to addressing climate change and cutting emissions. These plans allow polluting industries to escape responsibility to address climate change and shift the burden of climate action to frontline communities.

A broad majority young Americans understand anthropogenic climate change, but many are struggling to identify individual practices they can take to improve global sustainability, according to a survey of 15-25 year olds on climate change, environmental justice, and related public policy initiatives.

38% call climate change a crisis, 31% say it’s a problem, 12% a concern, 9% a non-issue, and 8% label it fiction.
While 44% of young Americans are either “very” (21%) or “somewhat” (23%) optimistic the world will successfully address climate change, 47% are either “somewhat” (12%) or “very” (25%) pessimistic
Respodents expressed a strong desire to do their part in mitigating climate change, but many were unsure how:
27% of respondents say they have reduced their usage of single-use plastics, 14% take alternate transportation, and 12% have curtailed electrical use. Another 14% have participated in a march or protest, and 10% have volunteered to create change. 67% have shared climate information on social media. (89% report they get the majority of their news from social media.)
67% of respondents report they do not believe U.S. residents are equally protected against exposure to pollution and other ecological hazards and 37% characterize environmental justice in the U.S. as “extremely inequitable.”
The survey also found significant support for many of President Biden’s environmental actions.

It’s Earth Day! Of course, Earth Day is a great media and organizing ‘hook’. But how do you find similar focal points throughout the rest of the year? The infrastructure plan Biden unveiled several weeks ago (and which could pass by a September budget deadline) may be a strategic opportunity to focus attention on climate, justice, and energy issues for months and years to come.

Americans support the Green New Deal (GND), even when shown GOP attack lines about the policy package. 60% of Americans support the GND, and just 29% oppose it. This breaks down to 83% support by Democrats, 57% by Independents, and 36% by Republicans. Further, a majority of voters (57%) say they would support if their member of Congress co-sponsored the GND resolution when it is reintroduced in Congress. 51% say they’d be more likely to re-elect their representative if they co-sponsor the GND. Even when presented with a right-wing talking point that the GND would be “a waste of taxpayer money that will increase the national debt”, 52% still think lawmakers should pass the GND. Every major policy plank of the Green New Deal enjoys widespread bipartisan support, including lowering utility costs, reducing pollution, helping family farmers adopt sustainable practices, making communities more resilient to extreme weather, and investing in frontline communities.