Public Resource
Poll: Arizonans are growing more concerned about climate change
Arizona State University, Morrison Institute for Public Policy
  • Arizona voters are as interested or more interested in and concerned about the environment in 2020 as they were in 2017 -- including attitudes toward and opinions about wildlife, land use, rivers and streams, global warming, preservation of water, air and water quality, and government spending on and attention to the environment.
  • Voters use print newspapers and television less and less as their primary sources for information about the environment. Electronic sources and social media are more and more critical to information distribution, a pattern that has been apparent for nearly two decades. Further, this pattern is persistent among 18- to 64year-olds, with many of those 65 and older still relying on television and, to a lesser degree, newspapers, although they also tap into online sources.
  • Water pollution ranks as Arizonans’ top environmental concern; 61% of voters surveyed said they are “very concerned” about pollution in the state’s rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
  • When respondents were given the choice between protecting the natural environment and economic growth, 64% said they believe “protecting the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of slowing economic growth.”
  • The climate change debate in Arizona largely remains a partisan one: 77% of Democrats and 58% of Independents “strongly agree” the federal government needs to do more to combat climate change, vs just 19% of Republicans “strongly agree” with that statement.