This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling about federal funding cuts, including to national parks and forests, and new polling about carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

Headlines

The Economist + YouGov – The plurality of Americans say that Trump’s budget and staff cuts have gone too far, and Americans are increasingly concerned about Musk’s conflicts of interest [Article, Topline, Crosstabs]

Data for Progress – Around two-thirds of voters are concerned about staffing cuts at the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, with just one in ten believing that funding for national parks and forests should be cut [Release, Crosstabs]

Data for Progress – Voters know virtually nothing about carbon dioxide removal (CDR), but warm to it quickly when exposed to more information [Release, Crosstabs]

Key Takeaways

Public opinion is continuing to turn against Musk and DOGE. The Economist and YouGov’s week-to-week tracking finds that Musk is dropping further underwater (43% favorable / 50% unfavorable, with 41% viewing him “very” unfavorably) and Americans continue to say that they’d rather cut or eliminate DOGE itself than any of the agencies it’s targeting.

Additionally, two in five Americans (42%) now say that the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the budget and staff of federal agencies have “gone too far” while only around one in six (17%) say that these efforts “haven’t gone far enough.”

As advocates look to point out the excessive nature of recent funding cuts, national parks and forests are prime examples that resonate across audiences. Data for Progress finds that around three-quarters of voters have positive opinions of the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, including more than seven in ten Republicans. Data for Progress and The Economist/YouGov also both find that only around one in ten voters believe that funding for the National Park Service should be cut.

Of all the agencies that the Trump administration has now pitted itself against, the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service may be the most popular across party lines. Data for Progress finds that, even among Republicans, more say that funding for national parks and forests should be increased than decreased.

Good Data Points to Highlight

• [DOGE / Cuts] 57% of Americans are concerned about Musk using DOGE to benefit his companies and personal interests [The Economist + YouGov]
• [DOGE / Cuts] The plurality of Americans (42%) say that the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the staff and budgets of federal agencies have “gone too far,” compared to just 17% who say that they haven’t gone far enough [The Economist + YouGov]
• [DOGE / Cuts] 66% of voters are concerned about recent staffing cuts at the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service after hearing about them [Data for Progress]
• [NPS] 75% of Americans say that funding for the National Park Service should be expanded or kept the same, while just 11% say that the agency should be reduced or eliminated [The Economist + YouGov]
• [NPS] 75% of voters, including 72% of Republicans, have favorable opinions of the National Park Service [Data for Progress]
• [U.S. Forest Service] 74% of voters, including 74% of Republicans, have favorable opinions of the U.S. Forest Service [Data for Progress]
• [Carbon Dioxide Removal] Voters support the Carbon Dioxide Removal Investment Act by a 68%-19% margin after reading a brief description of it [Data for Progress]