This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new national polling on climate change as an issue priority for voters and new polling in Michigan about the state’s energy policies.

Michigan voters have much more positive attitudes toward the clean energy industry than the fossil fuel industry, and want the state to hold oil and gas companies more accountable for their pollution. Around four in five voters in the state have favorable attitudes about solar (81% favorable / 14% unfavorable) and wind (79% favorable / 17% unfavorable) as energy sources. Republicans in the state also have overwhelmingly positive attitudes about both energy sources, with around seven in ten Republicans saying that they feel favorably about solar (73% favorable / 21% unfavorable) and wind (70% favorable / 25% unfavorable). Around three-quarters of voters feel favorably about clean energy companies (73% favorable / 20% unfavorable), including three in five Republicans (61% favorable / 31% unfavorable). Meanwhile, only half of voters in the state have favorable attitudes about fossil fuel companies (50% favorable / 38% unfavorable). Most voters in the state (58%) say that oil and gas companies have a negative impact on air quality for Michigan communities, and around half also say that these fossil fuel companies are negatively impacting water quality (51%) and public health (48%) in Michigan.

Michigan’s future includes lower monthly energy costs, the freedom to live without pollution, and more good-paying jobs and a growing middle class. Michigan’s economy is surging, supercharged by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and a suite of nation-leading clean energy bills passed by the Michigan state government last November. Michigan now has more clean energy projects than any other state and is ranked fourth in the country for new clean energy jobs. Clean energy businesses, which are creating jobs and growing the state’s workforce, are the first to say it: They are planting their stakes in Michigan, largely thanks to strong climate policies. The latest analysis from 5 Lakes Energy (PDF) shows that the state’s climate legislation package, in tandem with the IRA, goes way beyond cutting climate pollution. It will create economy-wide change by saving Michigan families hundreds of dollars in energy bills, bringing more clean energy jobs and investments into the state, and protecting communities from the harmful effects of pollution.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including a new wave of Yale and George Mason’s long-running “Climate Change in the American Mind” survey, new battleground polling on climate change and clean energy in the presidential race, and new polling on sustainable aquaculture.

Amid Farm Bill negotiations, voters in key states are more likely to support political candidates who want to help farmers to adapt to extreme weather and to be part of the solution to climate change. Voters in the four states are highly motivated in their support for programs that would help farmers adapt to extreme weather and mitigate climate change. Majorities in Colorado (69%), Georgia (66%), Michigan (65%) and Pennsylvania (70%) said they would be more likely to support a candidate for office who offered ideas along those lines. Large majorities in each of the four states, upwards of 76% of voters, identified corporate consolidation that squeezes small and midsize farmers and food businesses as a threat in their state. Notably, that jumped to 89% of households with a farmer. Majorities in every state, with a high of 89% in Pennsylvania, supported increasing investments that help small and midsize farmers compete with large corporate agribusiness. Very large majorities of voters supported programs that help farmers protect water quality and keep more carbon and nutrients in their soil, from 86% in Georgia to a high of 88% in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Majorities of voters in each state – as many as 68% in Michigan – and 66% of voters with a farmer in the house said water pollution caused by agricultural runoff is a threat to their state.

While partisanship remains strong among the rural electorate, more than one-third (37%) of rural voters appear "swingable" in future elections, depending on resonant policy proposals and messaging. Three messaging points — lowering prices; bringing good-paying jobs to local communities; and a populist message focused on corporate greed — received such broad support that they rivaled voters’ agreement on core values like family and freedom. Read additional analysis in the Daily Yonder's coverage.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including on hazardous air quality from the Canadian wildfires, battleground voters in Michigan and Nevada, and Michigan voters and Ford's new EV battery plant.

The majority of registered voters in three battleground states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan) support the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Majorities across all three states believe the IRA is good for their health, energy bills, and home energy efficiency. Bipartisan majorities support the IRA and Solar for All, but there is a large partisan gap: In each state, Democrats are about 30 percentage points more likely to support the IRA. Political and economic characteristics are important predictors of perceptions of IRA benefits: Democrats, middle/high income voters, and homeowners are more likely to believe the IRA’s appliance rebates benefit individuals “like you.” Voters are most interested in local investments in energy efficiency, public transit, and parks: 2 in 3 voters want to see local projects focused on improving energy efficiency in homes and commercial buildings.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new national polling on energy policy, the factors behind people’s climate views, and electric vehicles + new polling in Michigan on energy issues and the state’s climate plan.

Voters overwhelmingly support major provisions of the MI Healthy Climate Plan and the transition to a fully clean electricity grid. By a 61%-33% margin, Michigan voters support the state moving to a 100% clean energy electricity grid by 2035, including 88% of Democrats and 30% of Republicans. 64% support utility companies providing enhanced subsidies for consumers during blackouts. 70% support strengthening the MI Public Service Commission mandate to consider reliability, resilience against extreme weather, pollution reduction, and energy affordability in its decisions.