This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new national polling on oil and gas accountability, clean energy and infrastructure, and young voters, plus new polling in Florida on the state’s approach to climate change. 

HEADLINES

Navigator
Voters rank oil and gas as the country’s greediest industry, and continue to blame oil and gas companies more than anyone else for high gas prices [Release, Deck, Topline]

Data for Progress
Voters across party lines say that they want their communities to utilize new federal funding for clean energy or infrastructure projects [Report, Crosstabs]

[Young Voters] Blueprint
Climate change and the environment rank among President Biden’s biggest issue advantages over Trump with young voters, with clear room to grow [Release, Deck, Topline, Crosstabs]

[Florida] Florida Atlantic University
Floridians overwhelmingly say that the state government should do more to address climate change, which they see as a tangible threat to Florida; solar is by far the most popular energy source in the state [Release, Topline]

KEY TAKEAWAYS

You can’t go too far in calling for oil and gas industry accountability. Navigator finds that oil and gas companies are deeply unpopular, which is consistent with Gallup’s finding that the oil and gas industry is less popular than any other industry aside from pharmaceuticals. Navigator further finds that voters rank oil and gas companies as the greediest companies in the country, just ahead of pharmaceutical and health insurance companies. Given the public’s animus toward fossil fuel companies, we’ve seen virtually every proposed measure to hold oil and gas companies more accountable - including a “climate superfund” bill, other forms of “polluters pay” legislation, and a windfall profits tax - consistently earn majority support. 
Americans are more amenable to local clean energy development than conventional wisdom says. While the press often treats it as a fact that Americans don’t want clean energy projects in their communities, polls consistently tell a different story. Data for Progress finds that the overwhelming majority of voters - including majorities across party lines - approve of their communities using new federal funding to develop clean energy or other infrastructure projects. Similarly, previous polling by Global Strategy Group has found that most voters support building solar farms, wind turbines, and new transmission lines in their local areas.

GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT

[Clean Energy + Infrastructure] 78% of voters approve of new clean energy or infrastructure projects being developed in their community [Data for Progress]
[Fossil Fuel Accountability] 56% of voters have unfavorable opinions of oil and gas companies, while just 34% feel favorably about them [Navigator]
[Florida] 90% of Floridians recognize that climate change is happening, including 58% who say that it’s being caused largely by human activity [Florida Atlantic University]
[Florida] 68% of Floridians agree that climate change has them concerned about the well-being of future generations in Florida [Florida Atlantic University]
[Florida] 68% of Floridians agree that the state government should do more to address the impacts of climate change [Florida Atlantic University]