This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new national and swing state polling on the IRA’s tax credits and offshore drilling + new research on the terminology of climate change + new polling in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and South Carolina.

HEADLINES

UMD Program for Public Consultation – Overwhelming majorities nationally and in key swing states support maintaining tax credits for EVs, clean energy, and energy efficiency while limiting offshore drilling [Report, including links to state-specific toplines and crosstabs]

USC – Americans have similar reactions to “climate change” and “global warming,” but are less concerned about the “climate emergency” or “climate crisis” as fewer know these terms; only around one-third are familiar with “climate justice” [Article, Open Access Paper]

[PA] Evergreen Action + PennEnvironment + Conservation Voters of PA + Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance – Pennsylvania voters widely support expanding clean energy in the state, as most believe that it will bring benefits for people’s health and future generations [Release, Poll Memo]

[GA + SC] NRDC – Voters in Georgia and South Carolina strongly support protecting deep-sea coral habitats like the Blake Plateau [Release, Poll Memo]

KEY TAKEAWAYS

“Climate change” and “global warming” now mean essentially the same thing to the public, but more dramatic language (e.g., “climate crisis”) can actually be counterproductive. A new study by researchers at USC finds that there is no meaningful difference between the terms “climate change” and “global warming” in eliciting concern, urgency, or policy support from the U.S. public. However, the terms “climate crisis” and “climate emergency” actually provoke relatively less concern as they don’t have the same kind of universal familiarity as “climate change” or “global warming.”

Now that IRA tax credits have been implemented, Americans are very resistant to repealing them. The UMD Program for Public Consultation finds that overwhelming majorities of Americans nationwide and in swing states support either maintaining or expanding the IRA’s tax credits for residential clean energy, energy efficiency, and electric vehicles. Echoing how Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act led to a huge backlash from voters, these poll findings indicate that Republican lawmakers are right to be concerned about their party’s calls to repeal IRA policies that Americans across the country are benefitting from.

GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT

• [Clean Energy] 88% of Americans support maintaining or increasing the tax credit for residential clean energy production [UMD]
• [Energy Efficiency] 89% of Americans support maintaining or increasing the tax credit for new energy-efficient heating or air conditioning systems [UMD]
• [Energy Efficiency] 86% of Americans support maintaining or increasing the tax credit for energy-saving improvements, such as fuel-efficient lighting, doors, windows, or insulation [UMD]
• [Vehicle Emissions] 70% of Americans support the EPA’s standards requiring new cars and light trucks to get 20-30% more miles per gallon by 2027 [UMD]
• [Electric Vehicles] 80% of Americans support maintaining or increasing the tax credit for used EVs, and 79% support maintaining or increasing the tax credit for new EVs [UMD]
• [Offshore Drilling] 76% of Americans say that the government should either maintain or decrease the current amount of offshore drilling, while only 23% want to increase it [UMD]
• [Pennsylvania] 78% of Pennsylvania voters support the state “significantly” increasing its use of clean energy sources like wind and solar to generate electricity [Evergreen Action + PennEnvironment + Conservation Voters of PA + Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance]