Issue: Natural Gas

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls – including a new international sustainability poll from POLITICO and Morning Consult, findings about the public’s reactions to different terms for methane gas, and state-level polls in Indiana, Maryland, and Wisconsin.­

The recent winter storm over a huge stretch of the country—including parts of Texas—has brought back memories of almost exactly a year ago, when beginning on February 14th 2021, a deep freeze in which hundreds of Texans lost their lives and more than half of the state was without power or water service for days. A year after that traumatic catastrophe, the state remains susceptible to similar extreme weather events and a freeze-vulnerable natural gas supply still powers many homes and contributes to climate change. Today we highlight lessons from innovative and evidenced-based online campaigning surrounding this one-year anniversary to hasten the end of natural gas.

Texas voters favor increasing renewable energy production. 73% believe Texas should increase solar energy production, and 68% believe the same for wind energy, compared to just 42% for natural gas, 28% for nuclear, and 18% for coal. 62% of Texans agree (“somewhat” or “strongly”) that Texas should aim to achieve 100% clean power. 61% agree it should be a land owner’s right to install wind turbines or solar panels on their property. 75% agree (“somewhat” or “strongly”) that wind and solar are reliable forms of energy. This poll includes many more related questions on energy policy.

BIPOC Americans generally favor renewable energy over natural gas. This survey from February 2022 found that even though 44% of BIPOC respondents considered natural gas to be “clean energy” (compared to 24% who did not), majorities still believe that increasing domestic production of wind and solar energy is the better way to create good jobs (62% to 19%), can provide cheaper electricity (33% to 26%), and is more reliable (35% to 18%), compared to natural gas. Further, respondents were more likely to say they currently use and would prefer (in the future) to use electric instead of gas appliances. This survey asked lots more questions about the use of and views about electric appliances and energy sources of electricity.

Highlighting the negative health effects of using natural gas in the home may be the best way to increase opposition to gas. One recent experiment compared the potential effects of different frames about gas. Democratic and Democratic-leaning respondents who saw ads about negative health impacts from gas in homes were 11.8% less likely to say gas is a clean form of energy. Hispanic respondents, in particular, were more likely to be interested in purchasing appliances that don’t use gas, such as electric and induction stove tops, after viewing ads focused on individual consumer choice. In addition to health and consumer choice, this advertising experiment also tested the effects of other frames, such as advances in technology, safety, green jobs, industry deception, and fracking. This advertising experiment found no effects of the ads on the views of any other demographic groups.

Communicators should highlight the negative impacts associated with fossil fuel extraction and global warming in order to persuade people who are confident in the economic security of fossil fuels. This survey of Canadians shows that the transition to cleaner forms of energy is broadly popular. Further, people who are more likely to favor the energy transition also worry more about climate change, identify on the political left or center, and have less hope in the future economic prospects of fossil fuels. Women, younger people, and higher-educated people also favor the transition away from oil and gas more. This article argues for political elites and other communicators to pay attention to the impacts that their messages can have on what masses of voters think about climate policy.