Resources

Search below for resources covering the intersection of climate engagement, social science and data analytics.

RESULTS

Poll: Rural voters may be swingable

Center for Rural Strategies and Lake Research Partners
Research & Articles
07-15-2023

While partisanship remains strong among the rural electorate, more than one-third (37%) of rural voters appear "swingable" in future elections, depending on resonant policy proposals and messaging. Three messaging points — lowering prices; bringing good-paying jobs to local communities; and a populist message focused on corporate greed — received such broad support that they rivaled voters’ agreement on core values like family and freedom. Read additional analysis in the Daily Yonder's coverage.

Environmental Polling Roundup - June 30th, 2023

David Gold, Environmental Polling Consortium
Research & Articles
06-30-2023

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including on prioritizing clean energy sources over fossil fuels, voters supporting investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, and clean energy in key states.

Top State Energy Policies To Cut Carbon Emissions

Robbie Orvis, Olivia Ashmoore, Rachel Goldstein, Ashna Aggarwal, Nathan Iyer, and Kyle Clarksutton. Rocky Mountain Institute
Research & Articles
02-01-2023

Just five policies across the economy can dramatically cut state greenhouse gas emissions. These include clean electricity standards; zero-emission vehicle standards; clean building equipment standards; industrial efficiency and emissions standards; and standards for methane detection, capture, and destruction. This report evaluates emissions trajectories and policy impacts for six states: Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. These states have widely varying emissions profiles. For example, Louisiana’s emissions are dominated by the industrial sector, while in Michigan, the building sector is a significant contributor. In New Mexico, home to significant oil and gas extraction, methane is a major source of GHG emissions.

Environmental Polling Roundup - September 2nd, 2022

David Gold, Environmental Polling Consortium
Research & Articles
09-01-2022

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including a new 19-nation survey about climate change, new national polling on climate acton, new polling about the Inflation Reduction Act in Midwest battleground states, and a novel new survey of video gamers’ attitudes about climate change.

Michigan and Wisconsin voters widely support the Inflation Reduction Act and want more climate action on the state level. Additionally, large majorities in both states want to see their state expand clean energy and Wisconsin voters prefer a gubernatorial candidate who prioritizes climate change, pollution, and clean energy by a two-to-one margin over a candidate who doesn’t prioritize these issues. Michigan voters support the Inflation Reduction Act by a 64%-27% margin. 66% of Michigan want the state to produce more energy from clean energy sources such as wind and solar. Wisconsin voters support the Inflation Reduction Act by a 65%-29% margin. 65% of Wisconsin voters want the state to produce more energy from clean energy sources such as wind and solar. By a 62%-31% margin, Wisconsin voters prefer a gubernatorial candidate who prioritizes climate action, reducing pollution, and expanding clean energy over a candidate who doesn’t prioritize these issues.

Environmental Polling Roundup - February 11th, 2022

David Gold, Environmental Polling Consortium
Research & Articles
02-10-2022

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including a new international sustainability poll from POLITICO and Morning Consult, findings about the public’s reactions to different terms for methane gas, and state-level polls in Indiana, Maryland, and Wisconsin.­

Poll: Voters Strongly Back Climate-related Infrastructure Investments

Hart Research for Earthjustice, Environment America, and LCV
Research & Articles
06-27-2021

Survey data from 19 competitive House districts across the US revealed strong support (59%), across party lines, for the American Jobs Plan. Notably, the provisions that would address the climate crisis garnered even stronger support than the overall infrastructure plan did.

Among the specific provisions designed to address the climate crisis:

  • 82% of voters support investments to rebuild roads and bridges and modernize public transportation to ensure it is cleaner and able to serve more people.
  • 81% of voters support overhauling our country’s drinking water infrastructure.
  • 70% of voters support addressing the challenge of climate change by shifting to greater use of clean energy, reducing carbon pollution from vehicles and industry, and making homes and buildings more energy efficient.
  • 69% of voters support investments in clean energy such as wind and solar power by extending tax credits to spur innovation and manufacturing.
  • 61% of voters support investments in electric vehicles and charging stations to reduce pollution and help more Americans buy clean cars.

 

Research & Articles
06-03-2021

Key findings of a survey (phone and online) of US voters, with oversamples in key states include:

  • Voters across the political spectrum overwhelmingly support government investments in clean energy technologies in order to rebuild the economy (77%), create good jobs (76%), and eliminate the carbon emissions that cause climate change (75%). 
  • There's a widespread belief (75%) that investing in clean energy technologies will have economic benefits – including for "regular people." 
  • And also that by developing new clean technologies, we can replace many of the manufacturing and other blue-collar jobs that the country has lost over the last few decades (72%)
  • Strong support for various approaches to boost and develop specific clean energy technologies such as clean steel and cement, clean jet fuels, and energy storage and transmission.
  • Voters support investing $75 billion in clean energy tech RD&D as part of the upcoming infrastructure bill.         

Community Climate Conversations: Engaging and Empowering Local Action in a Changing World

Thomas Beery, Kristen Schmitt, Julie McDonnell, and Tansey Moore. Journal of Extension
Research & Articles
01-31-2021

Community-based climate communications can increase awareness, facilitate interpersonal connections, and lead to climate actions. This resource studied how the Twin Ports Climate Conversations (TPCC) project in the upper Midwest has influenced local climate awareness and response. TPCC brought professional environmentalists and concerned citizens together in 2016 for a monthly climate change presentation and discussion event. TPCC highlighted a variety of climate change–oriented topics with a critical emphasis on how climate change is affecting or will affect the Western Lake Superior region and the implications of these impacts. A survey of participants in TPCC conversations found that 72% of them made professional contacts from participation and 45% had taken some kind of climate action as a result of participating in TPCC. Some prominent examples of actions included "presented on climate and extreme storms to Duluth Chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers," "incorporated the information into my classroom curricula," and "planting different trees."             

How does the American public perceive climate disasters?

Lauren Kim, Jennifer Marlon, Matthew Ballew, and Karine Lacroix (Yale Program on Climate Change Communication)
Research & Articles
08-23-2020

Different parts of the country see various kinds of extreme weather as most concerning, perceptions which are largely in line with actual major disasters that have occurred in those regions. This report provides concern profiles for the 18 largest states, drawing on survey data from 2018 and 2019. Over half of Americans see such extreme weather events posting a high or moderate risk to their community in the coming decade, and two thirds see a climate link to US weather (though only a third think climate affects our weather "a lot").