Resource Library

Certain organizing strategies can allow activists to develop leadership skills in different ways. In Australia, the organization School Strike for Climate (SS4C) has generated more involvement among high school students in the climate movement. SS4C has particularly employed some tactics such as “peer learning, mentoring, learning by doing, confrontation, reflective spaces and training” to allow new high school activists to develop leadership skills. SS4C used movement tactics such as mobilizing, organizing, and lobbying politicians, and these different avenues for involvement also allowed new activists to engage in different ways to develop different skills, and lead others in doing them. These different tactics also have different strengths and weaknesses in facilitating leadership development through their execution.

This post includes a roundup of climate + environment headlines from this week’s public polls, good data points to highlight, and a full roundup with key takeaways from each poll – including timely new polling on the Build Back Better plan and its climate provisions nationally and in key battlegrounds, as well as new polling about the most trusted messengers on climate change.
HEADLINES

Navigator – Three in five Americans support the full $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan, with or without explicit pay-fors (Report)
Sierra Club – Arizona voters widely support the full $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan and overwhelmingly oppose proposed cuts; majorities believe climate change is already affecting the state and want to see Arizona become a clean energy leader (Release, Memo, Topline)
Climate Power + Data for Progress – Voters in frontline Democratic-held districts widely support the full $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan (Release, AZ-01 Topline, FL-07 Topline, GA-07 Topline, IA-03 Topline, ME-02 Topline, MI-08 Topline, NJ-05 Topline, NY-04 Topline)
NRDC Action Fund – Climate action is an important motivator for low-propensity Democrats and independents in the 2022 midterm elections (Release)
Data for Progress – Majorities continue to support the major climate-related aspects of the Build Back Better plan, with energy efficiency and clean energy provisions especially popular (Release, Topline)
Data for Progress – Voters nationwide support the Clean Electricity Performance Program to incentivize clean energy goals for utilities; supporters have winning arguments to use against pushback (Release)
Morning Consult – Scientists are the most trusted sources of information about climate change across party lines; most Americans believe that climate change is already affecting the environment and weather where they live (Article, Crosstabs)
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication + George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication – Public concern about climate change is rising, and support for federal climate action is rising along with it (Article on climate beliefs and concerns, Article on support for climate action)

Environmental nonprofits often need to alter their board practices, build connections, and create co-powered solutions in order to recruit and retain Black members on their boards. This report argues that philanthropic funders don’t trust BIPOC-led organizations as much as white-led organizations, and this causes fewer Black placements onto nonprofit boards. Environmental nonprofit boards need to be “ready” for Black board members by showing true dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and to combatting racism. Boards need to “recruit” by creating and network and pipeline of potential board members, and they need to “retain” by doing comprehensive onboarding, dealing with microagressions and overt racism, and not tokenizing Black board members. This report breaks down all these lessons in more detail.

Young Coloradans believe in a future where everyone is treated equally, resources are abundant, and we use innovative and creative solutions to solve big problems such as climate change and racial inequality. 57% of all youth named “equality” as a top value, and 44% named “relationship with Earth” as a top value. Among BIPOC youth, 60% named “technology and innovation” as a top value (with 52% naming “equality” as a top issue). Top issues named by all youth include: racial justice (60%), mental health (58%), healthcare (56%), education (40%) and climate change (40%). Many young people are unsure of where to start to create change but desire to be more involved and learn through experience. Young people strongly value the impact of voting, yet also believe it is insufficient on its own to create change. This report includes lots more specific survey questions and answers.