To reach the feeds of those who don’t pay attention to political news, politicians or advocates need a viral message — one that will not just resonate, but spread organically among social networks. While low-engagement voters distrust social media influencers by a -50- point margin, they trust their family members and friends by a +64-point margin. It’s not always possible to create a viral moment, but it’s worth trying to be bold — in 2024, the campaign event voters heard the most about in October was Trump’s stunt at a McDonald’s drive-thru. Greg Landsman and Ro Khanna have racked up millions of views on their TikTok videos, which often feature them delivering straightforward descriptions of what is happening in Washington directly to their followers.

Large majorities of voters across party lines agree that the federal government should invest in American EV manufacturing jobs, expand EV charging infrastructure, and help make EVs more affordable. 85% of voters say that the federal government should increase the number and reliability of public electric vehicle charging stations. 85% of voters say that the federal government should make electric vehicles more affordable for average Americans and working families. 80% of voters say that the federal government should make investments that create electric vehicle manufacturing jobs in the U.S. 72% of voters say that the federal government should keep the $7,500 tax break for Americans who buy an electric vehicle.

Public opinion about global warming is an important influence on decision-making about policies to reduce global warming or prepare for the impacts, but American opinions vary widely depending on where people live. These national surveys show that 72% of Americans think global warming is happening. This new Climate Opinion Maps model estimates, however, show that only 53% of people in Emery County, Utah agree. Meanwhile 72% in neighboring Grand County, Utah believe global warming is happening. Explore the maps by clicking on a state, congressional district, metro area, or county and compare the results across questions and with other geographic areas. This version of the Yale Climate Opinion Maps is based on survey data from 2008 through fall 2024. Public opinion polling is generally done at the national level because local-level polling is very costly and time-intensive. However, Yale developed a geographic and statistical model to downscale national public opinion results to the state, congressional district, and county levels.

This guide offers parents and caregivers practical strategies to support children's mental health and resilience amid the challenges posed by climate change. Build a trusted circle of support around you — family, friends, neighbors, colleagues — to bolster your own resilience and expand the safety net for your child. Seek mental health support when needed to reduce stress and anxiety. Access community services to help with practical needs (e.g., financial support, housing, food assistance, etc.) to let you focus on supporting your child. For younger children: They need guidance on understanding climate change, managing fears, and finding hope. For older children (8+) and teens: They need you to listen without judgment, to have honest conversations about their worries, and support for taking action. Be open to meaningful conversations; listen to your child’s concerns. Avoid dismissing their worries — ask them to name their emotions, then acknowledge and validate them. Show empathy and offer reassurance to help them process their emotions.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on federal funding cuts, the Trump administration’s early actions on energy and the environment, and Americans’ concerns about climate change and extreme weather.

Trump’s early actions on climate change and clean energy are unpopular; Americans particularly disapprove of halting wind energy projects, as they believe that stopping clean energy projects will hurt job growth. 57% of Americans oppose the Trump administration’s action to halt new wind energy projects. 57% of Americans agree that the Trump administration will hurt job growth by stopping clean energy projects. 61% of Americans agree that the Trump administration’s plan to increase oil and gas drilling will harm air and water quality. 60% of Americans agree that the Trump administration’s plan to increase oil and gas drilling will increase pollution and harm people’s health. Independents oppose the halting of wind energy projects by a 22-point margin (39% support / 61% oppose), oppose the IRA funding pause by a 20-point margin (40% support / 60% oppose), and oppose the Paris Agreement withdrawal by a 12-point margin (44% support / 56% oppose).

In this episode, David Roberts is joined by Albert Gore to discuss the fate of the electric-vehicle tax credits under the Trump administration. Gore explains how the consumer credit provides a demand-side signal to complement the supply-side manufacturing credits, and why eliminating either would primarily benefit Chinese manufacturers.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling about federal funding cuts, including to national parks and forests, and new polling about carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

Majorities of Americans continue to say that they’ve been impacted by extreme weather and that climate change was a factor behind it, and most are concerned that climate change will increase property insurance premiums. 72% of Americans recognize that climate change is happening. 72% of Americans who self-report experience with extreme weather in recent years say that climate change was a cause. While Democrats (89%) and independents (72%) overwhelmingly attribute their experiences with extreme weather to climate change, Republicans are more split (43% climate change was a cause / 55% climate change was not a cause). Most also believe that climate change will have a major impact on their lives in specific ways, such as affecting the air quality where they live (65%), their personal health (56%), and the availability of water in their area (55%). Majorities say that they’re either “extremely” or “very” concerned that climate change will increase property insurance premiums for households (59%) and increase energy costs for households (55%).

Most voters are concerned about the extent of recent government funding cuts and layoffs, and there are a wide variety of salient examples to point to–including cuts to disaster relief. 67% of voters are concerned about the Trump administration cutting disaster relief for events like wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes, including 44% who are “very concerned” about these cuts. On balance, voters say that Trump’s cuts to government spending make them feel more positively than negatively about him (42% more positive / 36% more negative). However, by double digits, voters say that Elon Musk’s involvement in the administration (33% more positive / 45% more negative) and the way that Trump has fired workers and attempted to close government agencies (33% more positive / 44% more negative) have more of a negative than positive impact on how they view Trump. While most voters also say that they’re at least “somewhat” concerned about firing park rangers at the National Park Service (58%), there is relatively less intensity behind this concern (35% “very concerned”) than for cutting disaster relief or for the other top-testing items in the survey.