Investments in infrastructure and clean energy rank among President Biden’s most widely recognized accomplishments, as majorities continue to support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. 58% of Americans support the IRA. This ranks lower than many other Biden-led investment bills. The lowering of prescription drug prices ranks highest, at 77% overall support.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on the benefits of climate policies for people's health and Latino/a/x Americans' climate opinions.

During disasters, people flock to social media to share warnings, coordinate in real-time, and share images of the destruction. But others use the chaos of breaking news events to spread false information. This podcast episode explores the rise of fake news in the environmental space, from #HawaiiNotUkraine to a news site spreading climate disinformation in Wyoming. Plus, the hosts speak to the people fighting back, including a community fact-checker correcting earthquake disinformation on X.

Americans have become more worried about and interested in global warming and started to perceive it as a greater risk in recent years. Americans were asked in a survey (in 2021): “What do you think is the greatest threat that global warming poses to the United States, if any?” The most common theme was Weather extremes and changes (20% of Americans), which included different types of extreme weather (e.g., floods, wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, extreme temperatures), changing weather patterns, and seasonal shifts. Many respondents in this category listed multiple extreme events, such as wildfires and droughts, or heat waves and flooding. The second most common theme was Global warming is not a threat (7%), which included statements about not being worried about climate change or expressing positions that raise doubts about climate science and scientists. The third most common themes were Pollution (6%), Other (6%), and Don’t know (6%). Respondents in the Pollution category mentioned specific pollution sources, such as “carbon dioxide,” “vehicle emissions,” or “waste disposal.”

The climate movement is getting more confrontational—is it working? In October 2022, activists with the group Just Stop Oil in the UK threw tomato soup at Van Gogh’s famous painting, “The Sunflowers,” in the National Gallery in London, then glued themselves to the wall under the painting, asking onlookers “What is worth more, art or life?” Within 24 hours most major media outlets had covered the protest in some way. Many covered it multiple times over the course of several weeks. It also inspired multiple copycat actions, with activists throwing mashed potatoes on a Monet in Germany, and pea soup on another Van Gogh in Italy. While the reaction to “Soupgate” seemed over the top, it’s also not terribly surprising that people were upset by it, because shock was the point, according to Dana Fisher, a sociologist. Part of the point of what researchers call the “radical flank” of any movement is to get this sort of reaction.

“Join the movement” is a compelling call-to-action (CTA) with people who are already persuaded and more likely to engage anyway. Those who join in response to this CTA tend to already be aligned with the organization’s position and demands, advocating for the social issue and/or participating in a similar movement or organization. “Join the movement” is ineffective with people who aren’t already receptive. Those not already in alignment with, knowledgeable about, or still in the formative stages of deciding where they stand on a social issue are less inclined to engage or see this CTA as motivational (regardless of how “Join the movement” is framed).

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on Americans' views of corporation intervention into various social issues.

Last month, President Joe Biden announced the launch of the American Climate Corps, or ACC — a program that will train some 20,000 young people in careers in climate and clean energy. In this resource, Sunrise Movement co-founder Evan Weber discusses the years of Green New Deal organizing that led to the landmark new jobs program to address the climate crisis. A broad paint brush of tactics contributed to the win that is the American Climate Corps. These tactics included 500 young people getting arrested for blocking the White House in the summer of 2021 while demanding a fully-funded civilian climate corps in the Build Back Better negotiations. They also included behind-the-scenes lobbying and policy negotiation, coalition building and the electoral work that delivered some of the highest youth voter turnout in modern history — with climate being the reason that happened. The latter is also the reason President Biden went more aggressive on climate and updated his climate policy.

Most Americans say that major companies should be involved in environmental advocacy. 93% of Americans say that major companies should support improving environment and sustainability practices. 61% of Americans say that major companies should be involved in advocacy about improving environmental and sustainability practices, including 75% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on climate denialism, Big Oil and politicians, solar and wind projects near communities, electric vehicles, and religiosity and climate views.