This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling about fossil fuel accountability, publicly owned utilities, and frontline communities’ vulnerability to extreme weather.

HEADLINES

Climate Power + Fossil Free Media + Data for Progress
Support for fossil fuel accountability spans the political spectrum, as voters widely agree that polluters should pay for their climate damage and pay a tax on their excess profits; more than two-thirds say that expanding clean energy will positively impact the economy [Article, Memo, Crosstabs]

Gallup
Black and Hispanic Americans feel particularly vulnerable to extreme weather, reporting less confidence in their local governments and less preparedness in their communities [Article]

Data for Progress
Two-thirds of voters say that they would support having a publicly owned utility as their electricity provider; having a say over electricity rates is the biggest perceived benefit [Article, Crosstabs]

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Fossil fuel accountability is a popular, bipartisan proposition. While there are no magic words to erase the current partisan divides over climate change and energy, the idea that fossil fuel companies should pay for their climate damage consistently unites voters across partisan lines. Climate Power, Fossil Free Media, and Data for Progress find that majorities of voters of all partisan affiliations support making climate polluters pay their fair share for damage from climate disasters. Additionally, they find that majorities of voters across party lines support an excess profits tax on fossil fuel companies and prefer political candidates who will stand up to fossil fuel CEOs.
Voters are feeling optimistic about clean energy. Recent polls show that supporters of the clean energy transition are now winning the debate on jobs and the economy. To that end, Climate Power, Fossil Free Media, and Data for Progress find that voters overwhelmingly say that expanding clean energy production will have a positive impact on the U.S. economy and widely expect that clean energy will produce more good jobs in the U.S. in the coming decades than fossil fuels.

GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT

[Polluter Accountability] 75% of voters support a tax on the excess profits of oil and gas companies [Climate Power + Fossil Free Media + Data for Progress]
[Polluter Accountability] 70% of voters support making polluters pay for climate damages after learning that some cities and states are suing fossil fuel companies for damage from climate disasters [Climate Power + Fossil Free Media + Data for Progress]
[Polluter Accountability] 63% of voters say that CEOs of oil and gas companies have too much power in America’s political system [Climate Power + Fossil Free Media + Data for Progress]
[Polluter Accountability + Elections] By a 71%-20% margin, voters say that they are more likely to vote for a candidate for Congress who will stand up to oil and gas company CEOs (71%) over a candidate who supports oil and gas company CEOs (20%) [Climate Power + Fossil Free Media + Data for Progress]
[Clean Energy + Economy] 68% of voters say that expanding clean energy production in America will have a positive impact on the economy [Climate Power + Fossil Free Media + Data for Progress]
[Clean Energy + Jobs] By a 58%-34% margin, voters believe that the clean energy industry (58%) is likely to create more new jobs over the next several decades than the oil and gas industry (34%) [Climate Power + Fossil Free Media + Data for Progress]