Arizona

Residents of US western states continue to prioritize conservation of the land, water, wildlife, and their ability to enjoy the outdoors. People in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho were surveyed for this poll. 97% of westerners believe the rising cost of living is a serious issue, and 89% believe the price of gasoline is a serious issue. There has been a 28-point increase since 2016 in the share of westerners who say that people moving to their state is a serious problem (from 47% to 75%). 50% of westerns say that the current shortage of water in the west is a serious crisis. The plurality of westerners (38%) say that businesses use the most water in their state, as compared to farmers and ranchers (34%) and households (25%).

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on conservation, climate, and energy issues in Western states + new national polling on the Inflation Reduction Act  + state-level polling in Minnesota about the state’s new clean energy bill and other environmental priorities.

Arizonans want additional investment on top of the Inflation Reduction Act to boost clean energy in the state, and overwhelmingly believe that the clean energy transition will benefit the state economy. 72% of Arizona voters agree that using more clean energy like wind and solar would create quality jobs and strengthen Arizona's economy. 66% of Arizona voters agree that using more clean energy like wind and solar would save Arizona families money. Majorities of Arizona voters say that the state should be using more energy from solar (74%) and wind (59%), while few want to see the state use more energy from fossil gas (15%), oil (13%), or coal (10%).

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including newly released national survey data from Yale and George Mason on Americans’ attitudes about climate and clean energy, new polling on climate as a factor in the midterm elections for AAPI voters, and new state-level polling in Arizona about climate and clean energy.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on the obstacles to climate action and proposed solutions; a battleground state poll about oil and gas companies’ role in spiking energy prices; new polling on the SITE Act and expansion of the U.S. electric grid; and a study analyzing the impact of messaging about the scientific consensus on climate change.

Overwhelming majorities of voters in western states support pro-conservation policies. Wildfires and droughts are especially salient concerns throughout the region. The 2022 poll surveyed registered voters in eight western states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Majorities now say that inadequate water supplies (70%, up 30 points since 2011), the loss of natural areas (55%, +19 since 2011), the loss of habitat for fish and wildlife (55%, +17 since 2011), pollution of rivers, lakes, and streams (54%, +12 since 2011), and climate change (52%, +25 since 2011) are “extremely” or “very” serious problems in their state. Western voters are most acutely concerned about droughts and reduced snowpack (59% “very” concerned) and more frequent and severe wildfires (52% “very” concerned). Nearly three-quarters of western voters (74%) say that drought is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem in their state, an increase of 22 points since 2016. For wildfires, 91% say that “uncontrollable wildfires that threaten homes and property” are a serious problem in their state - an increase of 14 points since 2016.

Arizona voters widely back the Inflation Reduction Act and its clean energy provisions. Arizona voters support the Inflation Reduction Act by a two-to-one margin (60% support / 30% oppose) after reading a brief description of its major provisions and projected impact on the national deficit. 72% of Arizona voters support the Inflation Reduction Act’s provision to lower American energy bills by providing tax credits and other financial incentives for clean and efficient energy technologies. 66% of Arizona voters support the Inflation Reduction Act’s provision to ramp up production of American-made clean energy technologies like electric vehicles and solar panels and strengthen our energy supply chains.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including fresh polling on the Inflation Reduction Act.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on voters’ reactions to arguments from the two parties on climate change; the impact of climate change and the environment on battleground voters’ decisions in the upcoming midterms; an experiment in communicating about human-caused climate change using a “heat-trapping blanket” metaphor; Americans’ personal experiences with climate change; and the widening generational gap in Republicans’ environmental attitudes.

Legislation along the lines of the Build Back Better Act is overwhelmingly popular in key U.S. Senate battlegrounds, with clear electoral benefits for incumbents if it passes. On the specific question of how support for this legislation would translate to electoral benefits for incumbents who back it, the poll finds that voters in the four battlegrounds (Nevada, Georgia, New Hampshire, and Arizona) are 23 to 33 points more likely to say that the legislation would make them more inclined to vote for their incumbent than less inclined. 14% of those who do not currently approve of the incumbent say they would be more likely to vote for them if they help pass this legislation. Across the four states, 62% say they would be more motivated and enthusiastic about voting in the elections this November if Congress took action and actually passed this legislation. Democrats in particular would be more motivated to vote (81%), including many Democrats who currently express a lower degree of enthusiasm about voting.