Issue: Transportation

The environmental disaster created by corporate greed forces us to reconsider how to restore trust in light of these systemic failings. Our neighbors in Ohio deserve better. This insight we take on the recent Ohio train derailment to uncover the larger systemic issues and raise some insights on how to continue holding institutions accountable.

Offshore wind and accountability were the top climate-related issues on social media and in media from June 2022. This resource produced separate reports for four regions of the country (linked separately in this resource’s notes). Climate itself was a top issue area in the West and Midwest. Transportation and electric vehicles did not receive much coverage by quantity or quality in June.

People don’t buy as many electric vehicles (EVs) because they misperceive the mileage driving range of the EV car batteries. However, correcting these misperceptions in people can reduce their concern about vehicle range and increased their stated willingness to pay for EVs (specifically those with battery ranges between 60 and 240 miles, relative to a 50-mile-range baseline model). When this study provided people with this accurate EV driving range information, it increased people’s willingness to pay for EVs more than did providing information about how accessible vehicle charging stations are. The authors argue that this research can be turned into political messaging about EVs.