Location: West Virginia

President Biden delivered his first State of the Union on Tuesday night, addressing the US response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well as a variety of domestic policy concerns – from COVID to inflation to prescription drug prices. He only spoke briefly about climate change, highlighting the cost-saving and job-creation benefits of “Build Back Better” policies that would invest in home weatherization, electric vehicles, and renewable energy.
President Biden also announced the release of 30 billion barrels of oil from the strategic reserve (booo!) and, notably, failed to even mention the recent IPCC report, which details “terrifying” current and projected climate impacts. Just across the street, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on West Virginia vs. EPA, which could undermine the agency’s authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon emission from power plants.
The Lab last covered the “state of the climate movement” back in 2019, when Democrats had just regained control of the House, we were writing explainers on Green New Deal, and global pandemics were the stuff of scary movies. All of which is to say… it was a really different world!

This post includes a roundup of climate + environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from this week’s public polls – including new polling on the Build Back Better plan nationally and in key states and new polling on extreme weather events and government action on climate.
 
HEADLINES

Navigator – Voters support the full Build Back Better plan by a roughly two-to-one margin, with intensity clearly on the side of supporters; voters see it as an “urgent” priority when they learn it’s tied to the bipartisan infrastructure bill (Topline)
BlueGreen Alliance – Jobs, water infrastructure, and “made in America” provisions drive support for the Build Back Better plan in AZ, CO, VA, & WV; only half of voters in these key states are hearing about the plan (Release, Deck, AZ Memo, CO Memo, VA Memo, WV Memo)
Quinnipiac – Most Americans say the U.S. isn’t doing enough to address climate change; the Build Back Better plan has majority support even when described as “a spending bill on social programs” (Release)
Monmouth – Nearly two-thirds of Americans support government action to reduce climate change; most see climate change as a major factor in recent western wildfires and eastern floods (Release, Crosstabs)

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 new polling on the Build Back Better budget and a new Pew report on climate change attitudes in advanced economies across the world.
HEADLINES

Pew – Most Americans are willing to make changes to their own lives to help reduce the effects of climate change; ideology plays a larger role in shaping Americans’ climate attitudes than it does in other advanced economies (Release, Full Report, Topline)
Data for Progress – The Build Back Better budget enjoys broad support in U.S. Senate battlegrounds, other key states (Release, National memo including links to 12 state-specific memos and toplines)
Data for Progress – Voters overwhelmingly support additional funding (beyond what’s included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework) to fully replace all lead drinking water pipes in the country (Release)
University of Bath – Climate anxiety is a major stressor for young people; over one-third of young Americans are hesitant to have children because of the climate crisis (Academic Article in Pre-Published Form)

Recommendations from messaging research about climate change and the Green New Deal and how to communicate and engage people in the rural America include:

Every message must be embedded with Appalachian values (such as kinship, independence, resiliency, and resourcefulness) – whether it focuses on jobs or on health.
Show respect for the people who worked in coal and what they built.
Name entities behind the problem. Use the active voice.
Avoid alarmist messages. Show what the community gains. Offer local solutions that connect to regional values. Give examples of local people doing the work.