This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on climate action, the Biden administration’s climate and environmental record, extreme weather, and Americans’ top environmental priorities.

HEADLINES

CBS News + YouGov
Americans have heard little about the Biden administration’s climate efforts, but the administration’s climate and environmental policies are popular when people learn about them [Biden administration climate action article, Climate and economy article] 

Ipsos
Steady majorities of Americans say that the government should do more to address global warming and will be failing the American people if it doesn’t take action; however, Americans have mixed attitudes about the economics of climate action [Release with link to full Earth Day poll report]

Gallup
Pollution of drinking water remains Americans’ top environmental concern, and few ever say that the government is doing “too much” to protect the environment [Article]

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Clean drinking water continues to resonate more than any other environmental priority. Gallup finds that Americans have stronger concerns about the pollution of drinking water than any other environmental issue, which is consistent with previous polling by Gallup and others. Policies to protect clean drinking water are accordingly very well-received, and CBS News and YouGov find that reducing toxic chemicals in drinking water is President Biden’s most popular environmental accomplishment. 
Democrats and Republicans believe very different narratives about climate change and the economy. CBS News and YouGov find that Americans have mixed attitudes about the economic impacts of climate action, with Democrats tending to believe that efforts to reduce climate change will help the economy while Republicans tend to believe that such efforts will hurt the economy. Demonstrating the economic benefits of climate action is critically important for winning over conservative audiences, as polling shows that Republicans remain pessimistic about the impacts of climate action on the economy and cost of living even as they acknowledge other benefits such as cleaner air and improved public health. Additionally, Ipsos finds that Americans are more likely to agree with an economic rationale for postponing climate action than with other common opposition arguments.

GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT

[Climate Attitudes] 62% of Americans say that they worry at least “a fair amount” about climate change, including 42% who worry “a great deal” about it [Gallup]
[Climate Attitudes] 61% of Americans recognize that pollution from human activities is the primary cause of increases in the Earth’s temperature over the past century [Gallup]
[Climate Attitudes] 59% of Americans recognize that the effects of global warming have already begun [Gallup]
[Climate Action] 70% of Americans support the U.S. taking steps to try to to slow or stop the rate of climate change [CBS News + YouGov]
[Climate Action] 56% of Americans agree that the U.S. should do more in the fight against climate change [Ipsos]
[Climate Action] 54% of Americans agree that the U.S. government will be failing its people if it does not act now to combat climate change [Ipsos]
[Electric Vehicles] 53% of Americans support policies that would encourage the production of more electric or hybrid vehicles and fewer gas-powered vehicles in the U.S. [CBS News + YouGov]