Environmental Polling Roundup – May 19th, 2023

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls – including new polling about clean energy in the debt ceiling debate, direct air capture (DAC) hubs, and water issues + a new analysis of the groups that are most and least likely to discuss climate change with the people around them.

See this webpage for links to the following resources.

HEADLINES

Navigator – The repeal of job-producing clean energy investments is one of many elements that voters find deeply concerning about congressional Republicans’ debt ceiling proposal (Release, Deck)

Yale + GMU – Democrats, younger Americans, and college educated Americans are the mostly likely to discuss global warming with their friends and family; Republicans of all ideologies are the least likely to discuss the issue, even as non-conservative Republicans generally support climate action (Article)

Data for Progress – The public widely supports building direct air capture (DAC) hubs after learning about them; the most appealing features of potential DAC projects include guarantees of re-investment in the community, stable jobs, and funding through taxing polluting industries (Memo, Crosstabs)

US Water Alliance – The public’s prioritization of water issues ranks on par with the economy and inflation; voters’ evaluations of national and local water infrastructure have been declining in recent years (Release, Fact Sheet)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• In the debt ceiling debate, the repeal of job-producing clean energy investments is one of many potential consequences that resonates with voters. Navigator finds that a statement about congressional Republicans’ proposed cuts to clean energy investments (“[Congressional Republicans’ budget plan] would repeal investments in clean energy that have already created more than 100,000 manufacturing and other jobs across the country”) is deeply concerning to voters. These job-killing clean energy cuts are one of several elements – along with Medicaid cuts that would take coverage away from as many as 21 million Americans, funding cuts for food safety inspectors that could lead to shortages and higher prices for groceries, and cuts to K-12 education that could eliminate 108,000 teachers’ jobs and impact over 32 million kids – that make congressional Republicans’ proposed budget cuts toxic to the public if voters are informed about them.
   
• Americans need to see that climate investments will produce long-lasting economic benefits for their communities. Data for Progress finds that community reinvestment and long-term, union jobs stand out as important elements for voters when evaluating potential plans for direct air capture (DAC) facilities in their areas. These findings are consistent with other research we’ve seen on federal climate and clean energy investments. Recent qualitative and quantitative research by LCV and Climate Power, for example, underlined the importance of tangible economic benefits such as job growth and cost savings in communications about IRA/IIJA implementation.  
   
• Republicans need to hear that people like them care about climate change. Yale and George Mason find that Republicans rarely discuss global warming with friends and family, and that climate conversations are exceedingly rare even among less ideological Republicans – a segment that tends to support climate action. This finding speaks to the need to normalize climate concern within Republican circles and to make Republicans more comfortable broaching the issue with the people around them. Based on the polling data, pro-climate Republicans are likely to find that their social circles care much more about the issue than they suspect.
   

GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT

• [Water] 85% of voters say that ensuring a reliable supply of water is an “extremely” or “”very” important issue for the federal government to address, including 52% who call it “extremely” important [US Water Alliance]
   
• [Water] 82% of voters say that addressing drinking water contamination is an “extremely” or “very” important issue for the federal government, including 48% who call it “extremely” important [US Water Alliance]
   
• [DAC] 68% of voters support the U.S. building direct air capture (DAC) facilities after learning what they are, including majorities of Democrats, independents, and Republicans [Data for Progress]
   
• [Debt Limit + Clean Energy] 70% of voters find it concerning that congressional Republicans’ proposed budget plan would repeal investments in clean energy that have already created more than 100,000 jobs [Navigator]
   
• [Issue Importance] More Americans name climate change and the environment as the single “most important issue” to them than any other issue aside from inflation/prices, jobs/economy, and health care [The Economist + YouGov]