This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including polls on extreme weather, Republicans' views, drought, and more.

HEADLINES

Navigator - Focusing on the impacts of extreme weather on day-to-day life bolsters the progressive argument on climate change; nearly half of voters report unusual weather in their own community this summer, and the public is particularly attuned to extreme heat (Release, Slide Deck, Topline)

Economist/YouGov - One-quarter to one-third of Americans have recently felt severe heat impacts, such as wildfires and temperatures exceeding 100 degrees; most expect to be impacted by climate change in their lives (Topline, Crosstabs)

PPIC (California) - More severe droughts and wildfires top Californians’ concerns about the impacts of climate change; worries about the water supply have significantly deepened amid the current drought (Press Release, Full Report)

Pew - Few Republicans express deep concern about climate change, but most still support specific policies to curb its impact (Article, Full May 2021 Report)

Data for Progress + Good Energy Collective - Voters are unsure about “advanced nuclear energy” but can be persuaded to support federal investment in new nuclear technologies (Release, Memo)

No Labels / HarrisX - Voters in key congressional districts widely support passing the bipartisan infrastructure compromise, but are more mixed on an additional infrastructure package when it’s framed as “new social spending” (Press Release, including links to the full results in Excel and district-specific slide decks)

GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT

-Over two-thirds of voters (69%) believe that climate change is a major problem (Navigator)

-The majority of Americans (54%) understand that the world’s climate is changing as a result of human activity (Economist/YouGov)

-Climate/environment is the most important single issue area for more Americans than any other issue area besides health care and jobs/economy (Economist/YouGov)

-80% of Californians believe that developing alternative energy sources should be a more important priority than expanding exploration and production of fossil fuels (PPIC)

-Over three-quarters of Californians believe that climate change has contributed to the state’s current drought (80%) and recent wildfires (78%) (PPIC)

-74% of Californians support the state law requiring California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 (PPIC)

-70% of Californians support the state law requiring 100% of California’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2045 (PPIC)

-64% of Californians support banning new fracking permits by 2024 (PPIC)