This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on opposition to government shutdowns and repealing Inflation Reduction Act funding as well as understanding of Biden's clean energy policies. 

HEADLINES

Navigator
Voters don’t want a government shutdown, or proposed cuts to clean water and IRA implementation [Release, Report]

CBS News + YouGov
Nearly two-thirds of Americans acknowledge that President Biden has funded clean energy projects, making it one of the most widely recognized accomplishments of his presidency [Article, including embedded topline and crosstabs]

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Clean water is a powerful example of what’s at stake in the government shutdown fight. Navigator finds that cutting funding for clean and safe drinking water is one of the most unpopular budget cuts that has been put forward during the ongoing government funding debate. Other polling has shown that partisans on both sides consider clean water to be a core federal government responsibility, making clean water protections a salient and common-sense example of a government function that needs to be protected in budget negotiations.
Americans recognize that President Biden is investing in clean energy. CBS News and YouGov find that funding clean energy projects is one of the most widely recognized actions that Biden has taken as president, on par with providing stimulus checks during the pandemic. While polls show that the American public is still hazy on what exactly Biden has done to combat climate change, the notion that his administration is backing clean energy is clearly breaking through. Now, advocates need to make it clearer to everyday Americans how these clean energy investments will help them at the personal level - including by lowering household energy bills.

GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT

[Government Shutdown + Clean Water] 75% of voters oppose proposed cuts to funding to provide safe and clean drinking water and to protect children from lead poisoning [Navigator]
[Government Shutdown + IRA] 59% of voters oppose proposed cuts to government investments from the Inflation Reduction Act to combat the climate crisis [Navigator]
[Energy] 58% of voters disagree that the U.S. should put more tax subsidies into traditional fossil fuels and take away benefits for investing in clean energy like wind and solar power [Navigator]
[Issue Priority] More Americans name climate change and the environment as the single “most important issue” to them than any other issue aside from inflation/prices, health care, and the economy/jobs [The Economist + YouGov]