Resource Type: Research & Articles

Most protest movements have little success in achieving their aims, or otherwise positive outcomes—but a small percentage of protest movements will achieve outcomes large enough to warrant funding a portfolio of social movement organizations. This resource may be useful for grantmakers and advocates who want to pursue the most effective ways to bring about change for a given issue, particularly on climate change or animal welfare. There is solid evidence that protests can cause small changes in public opinion on an issue (swaying about 2-5% of the population). There is some evidence—but less—that protest movement activity can bring about policy change.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls – including new polling about West Virginia vs. EPA and the EPA’s authority, a survey of climate attitudes among Facebook users across 192 countries and territories, and new state-level polling in Pennsylvania about climate change and the state’s fracking industry.

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.