Resource Type: Research & Articles

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls – including new polling on the Build Back Better plan, the factors that drive Americans’ climate concerns, and voters’ relative trust in the two parties to handle climate change and environmental issues.

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.

Energy insecurity is prevalent among low-income households in the U.S. More than 28% of low-income households surveyed recently reported being unable to pay their energy bill, and nearly 20% received a disconnection notice. Black and Hispanic households experience higher levels of energy insecurity: from November 2021 through January 2022, almost 40% of Hispanic respondents and more than 26% of Black respondents were not able to pay an energy bill. Energy insecurity is especially widespread among households with children. Households often forgo other basic household needs to pay their energy bills. To cope with the expense of energy, households often adjust the temperature in their homes to uncomfortable levels and accumulate utility debt.

The effect of watching the film Don’t Look Up was polarizing. For Democrats who watched it, they become 1% more supportive of immediate government action on climate. But for Republicans, they became 15% LESS supportive. Independents became 9% MORE supportive.

Business students believe corporate leaders should be solving environmental and social issues, but they perceive the most serious issues to be elsewhere. 41% perceive themselves as “very” or “extremely” knowledgeable about environmental sustainability, an increase from 21% measured in a 2015 survey. 51% reported they would accept a lower salary to work for an environmentally responsible company, up from 44% in 2015. 94% of business students agree that global warming is happening, and 52% consider themselves “very” or “extremely” concerned about its impacts. 61% believe that both government and companies have a responsibility to address “environmental and social crises.” Majorities of students want more business school teaching and career services focused on environmental issues. However, just less than one third perceive the condition of the environment in their own country or city to be poor.