Our Impact Across The Country
trained in-person
since 2016 & members
in all 50 states
See Our Impact
trainings
delivered
in 25 states
and Washington D.C.
Learn About Our Trainings
from tipsheets
to trainings to research
View the Resource Library
to social equity
and justice
across all our programming and in ourselves
Read Our Commitment
Search Resource Library
Quickly search for resources covering the intersection of climate engagement, social science and data analytics.
Recently Added
Environmental Polling Roundup - June 28th, 2024
This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including lots of new polling and research on extreme heat, polling on climate change and clean energy as issues in the 2024 election, and new polling on the American Climate Corps.
Poll: Understanding pro-climate voters in the United States
“Pro-climate voters” make up a large share of the electorate, are eager to vote, and are enthusiastic about the IRA. These “pro-climate voters” make up 37% of all registered voters nationwide, and therefore have the potential to make a big impact in the races for president and other offices this fall. Notably, an additional 25% of registered voters also prefer a candidate who supports climate action even though they do not say that global warming is a very important voting issue to them. Liberal Democrats are the group most likely to be pro-climate voters (70%), followed by urban residents (47%), Moderate/Conservative Democrats (47%), those with a Bachelor’s degree or higher (45%), and Hispanics/Latinos (43%).
The media is still falling short on climate
HEATED analyzed 133 breaking news stories about recent climate-fueled weather in the United States. The results were dismal—but there were some bright spots. Only 44 percent of digital breaking news articles mentioned the climate crisis or global warming. Stories about heat waves fared slightly better, with 52 percent mentioning climate change. Only 25 percent of stories about extreme rainfall mentioned climate change. Even fewer stories about this month’s climate-fueled extreme weather explained to readers why the climate crisis is happening in the first place. Of 133 articles about unprecedented heat and flash floods, only 15 articles—or 11 percent—mentioned fossil fuels, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Only one article, from the BBC, mentioned deforestation. No articles mentioned animal agriculture. Yet despite the dismal numbers overall, some news outlets stood out for consistently mentioning climate change in all their breaking heat and rainfall articles this month. Those outlets were numerous, but included NPR, Vox, Axios, the BBC, and Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Poll: Voters Express Support for Public Service Organizations That Address Climate Change
Voters agree that there is a role for national service programs in the fight against climate change, and continue to widely back the American Climate Corps when they learn about it. Voters support the American Climate Corps by an overwhelming 77%-16% margin when provided with a description. The ACC is particularly popular with young voters aged 18-34, with 83% supporting it. By a 53%-35% margin, voters side more with a positive argument in favor of the ACC than a negative argument against it. Young people are most attracted to the ideas of earning a living wage and making a difference in their community.
Despite partisan differences, voters widely agree that extreme weather is getting worse in the U.S. 65% of voters recognize that the impact of extreme weather events is getting worse in the U.S. While Democrats (74%) are more likely to recognize this than Republicans (56%), majorities from both parties can agree that extreme weather is getting worse for the country as a whole. A lower but still substantial percentage say that extreme weather is getting worse in their own local area. Around two in five (41%) say that the impact of extreme weather is getting worse in the community where they live, including half of Democrats (51%) but only about one-third of Republicans (32%).
Poll: Amidst Record-Breaking Heat Dome, 4 in 5 Voters Want FEMA to Respond to Extreme Heat Disasters
Heat continues to rank as Americans’ top extreme weather concern, and voters overwhelmingly support measures to help Americans cope with it – including expanded disaster relief funding, investments in cooling infrastructure, and new requirements for landlords. 80% of voters support FEMA adding extreme heat and wildfire smoke to the list of disasters to which they respond and allocate disaster relief funding. 80% of voters support their state or municipality investing in cool roofs and cool pavements. 79% of voters support requiring landlords to provide renters with air conditioning or indoor cooling in areas that experience extreme heat events. 79% of voters support programs that specifically invest in cooling infrastructure for marginalized communities.
Environmental Polling Roundup - June 21st, 2024
This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including a major new international climate survey by the United Nations, new research on Americans’ beliefs about climate change and extreme weather, and new battleground polling about climate change and clean energy in the presidential race.