Environmental Polling Roundup – August 11th, 2023

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls – including polling on EPA power plant rules, presidential climate actions, and the relationship between climate distress and intention to engage in activism.

See this webpage for links to all the following resources.

HEADLINES

Data for Progress – Voters support stronger EPA rules on power plant pollution and want their local utility companies to prioritize clean energy over fossil fuels [Article, Crosstabs]

Washington Post + UMD – Americans give President Biden better marks on climate change than Trump at the same point in his presidency, despite knowing little about Biden’s climate actions; Americans overwhelmingly say that they want the next president to favor government action on climate change [Article, Topline]

Yale + George Mason – Americans who experience climate distress are more likely to take personal action on climate change [Article]

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Support for President Biden’s major climate policies continues to far outpace awareness. A new Washington Post/UMD poll finds that most Americans have heard little or nothing about President Biden’s major actions on climate change – including the Inflation Reduction Act as well as specific policies such as tax credits for clean energy manufacturing and solar panels. However, the poll finds that Americans support these and other major climate policies of the Biden administration by wide margins when they hear about them. Advocates should continue to assume that everyday people know little about what the Biden administration has done on climate change, and raising awareness of these actions can go a long way to fostering a sense of momentum and positive movement to address the problem. The public clearly wants to have a president who will address the issue, as the poll also finds that Americans overwhelmingly prefer that the next president favors rather than opposes government action on climate change.
   
• Advocates should make sure to provide people with productive outlets during times of high climate distress. A new report by Yale and George Mason finds that Americans who experience “climate distress” such as anxiety and depression over climate change are more likely to have taken concrete personal actions to address the issue and are also more likely to take concrete actions in the future – such as volunteering their time and contacting elected officials. While environmental organizations can understandably be sensitive about looking opportunistic with calls to action or appeals to donate money during times of high climate distress, such as weather disasters, the data indicates that people who care about climate change need productive outlets precisely at those times in order to channel their distress into positive action.

GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT

• [Presidential Election + Climate] By a 70%-27% margin, Americans say that they want the next president to be someone who favors government action to address climate change over someone who opposes government action to address climate change [Washington Post + UMD]
   
• [Tax Credits for Solar] By a 65%-15% margin, Americans support expanded tax credits to install solar panels at homes and businesses [Washington Post + UMD]
   
• [Tax Credits for Heat Pumps] By a 54%-15% margin, Americans support new tax credits for homeowners buying a heat pump system for heating and AC [Washington Post + UMD]
   
• [Tax Credits for Clean Energy Manufacturing] By a 54%-19% margin, Americans support expanded tax credits for companies manufacturing solar panels and wind turbines in the United States [Washington Post + UMD]
   
• [Tax Credits for EVs] By a 50%-22% margin, Americans support expanded tax credits for buyers of electric vehicles [Washington Post + UMD]
   
• [EPA Power Plant Rules] Voters support the EPA’s proposed new power plant pollution rules by a 65%-24% margin after reading a brief description of them [Data for Progress]
   
• [Utilities] 76% of voters disapprove of utility companies using money collected from consumers’ bills to fund political activities like lobbying [Data for Progress]
   
• [Utilities + Clean Energy] By a 59%-33% margin, voters say that their local utility company should prioritize clean energy like wind and solar over fossil fuel energy like coal, oil, and gas [Data for Progress]
   
• [Utilities + EPA Rules] 54% of voters say that their local utility company should support the EPA’s proposed new power plant pollution rules [Data for Progress]
   
• [Issue Priority] More Americans name climate change and the environment as the single “most important issue” to them than any other issue aside from inflation/prices, health care, and the economy/jobs [The Economist + YouGov]