Dear Friends,
We are pleased to release a new report, “Politics & Global Warming” based on our latest national survey, conducted in April and May 2022 (just before the recent Supreme Court rulings on abortion, guns, and the EPA; multiple deadly mass shootings around the U.S.; and the congressional hearings on the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol). Overall, we find that public support for climate and clean energy policies has softened since our last study in September of last year. However, many registered voters say that climate change will be an important issue in the 2022 congressional elections:
Global Warming as a Voting Issue
About four in ten registered voters (39%) say a candidate's position on global warming will be "very important" when they decide who they will vote for in the 2022 congressional elections.
Of 29 issues we asked about, registered voters overall indicated that global warming is the 24th most highly ranked voting issue (based on the percentage saying it is "very important").
Among liberal Democrats, global warming was ranked as voting issue #3, after environmental protection (#1) and health care (#2). Among moderate/conservative Democrats, global warming was ranked #16, while among liberal/moderate Republicans and conservative Republicans the issue was ranked 28th and 29th, respectively.
A majority of registered voters (58%) would prefer to vote for a candidate who supports action on global warming, while only 17% would prefer to vote for a candidate who opposes action.
Global Warming and Clean Energy as Government Priorities
50% of registered voters say global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress.
61% of registered voters say developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress.
Support for Policies to Reduce the Pollution that Causes Global Warming
Majorities of registered voters support a range of policies to reduce carbon pollution and promote clean energy. These include:
87% support providing tax incentives or rebates to homeowners, landlords, and businesses to make existing buildings more energy efficient.
79% support funding more research into renewable energy sources.
77% support providing tax rebates to people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels.
77% support providing federal funding to make residential buildings in low-income communities more energy efficient.
77% support providing tax incentives or rebates to homeowners, landlords, and businesses to purchase appliances that can be powered without burning fossil fuels.
74% support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant.
69% support transitioning the U.S. economy (including electric utilities, transportation, buildings, and industry) from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050.
69% support increasing federal funding to low-income communities and communities of color who are disproportionately harmed by air and water pollution.
66% support requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a tax on the carbon pollution they produce and using that revenue to reduce other taxes (such as the federal income tax) by an equal amount (i.e., a revenue-neutral carbon tax).
Conservation and Restoration Policies
86% support providing funding to help farmers improve practices to protect and restore the soil, so it absorbs and stores more carbon.
86% support re-establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps.
80% support creating a jobs program to hire unemployed oil and gas workers to close down abandoned gas wells.
80% support creating a jobs program to hire unemployed coal workers to close down old coal mines.
Declaring Climate Change a National Emergency
Banning TV Ads by Fossil Fuel Companies
Trust, Blame, and Grievance
About seven in ten registered voters trust NASA (74%), family & friends (74%), climate scientists (71%), and their primary care doctor (69%) as sources of information about global warming.
Registered voters most blame global warming on developing countries (68%), fossil fuel companies (66%), industrialized countries (65%), fossil fuel CEOs (63%), and corporate lobbyists (62%).
Few registered voters think the U.S. government is responding well to the issue of global warming (14%), that people like them have a fair say in how the government responds to the issue (16%), or that people like them are respected in the national conversation about global warming (11%).
The full report includes many other important findings, including voters’ views about clean energy vs. fossil fuels as a strategy to grow the economy and create jobs, who should act to reduce global warming, support for policies by state and local governments, and willingness to personally take a variety of political actions to limit global warming.
For media inquiries, please contact Lisa Fernandez and Eric Fine.
For partnership inquires, please contact Joshua Low.
As always, thanks for your interest and support!
Cheers,
Tony
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Anthony Leiserowitz, Ph.D.
Director, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Yale School of the Environment
(203) 432-4865
Twitter: @ecotone2environment.yale.edu/climateyaleclimateconnections.org
