Resource Type: Research & Articles

With the threats from telecom carriers to restrict broadcast and peer-to-peer texting, advocates may need to pivot to alternative modes of contact to reach and engage supporters. Sunrise Movement partnered with the Climate Advocacy Lab and The Movement Cooperative to test a relatively new technology as a potential replacement for text messages: ringless voicemail messages (a.k.a. voicemail drops). This approach allows senders to “drop” a voicemail into a recipient’s phone without registering as an incoming call, allowing for some of the same benefits of texting (asynchronous communication, notification on phone, etc.) but outside of the purview of carriers.

Americans who have experienced extreme weather say that it has made them more concerned about climate change. 46% of Americans say that the area where they live has experienced more extreme weather related events in recent years. Within this 46% segment, the clear majority (62%) say that their personal experience with extreme weather has made them more concerned about climate change. Self-identified Democrats (66%) are far more likely than self-identified Republicans (30%) to report that their area is experiencing more extreme weather. And among those who say that their area has experienced more extreme weather, Democrats (74%) are considerably more likely than independents (58%) or Republicans (37%) to say that their personal experience with extreme weather has made them more concerned about climate change. Republicans who say that their area has experienced more extreme weather are more than twice as likely to say that climate change needs to be addressed “now” or “soon” (62%) than Republicans who say that they haven’t experienced more extreme weather (29%).