New report: Republicans warm up to climate change
The latest national survey conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication finds that since Fall 2017, Republican registered voters have become more convinced that human-caused global warming is happening, are more worried, and are more supportive of several climate policies.
Among Republican registered voters, belief that global warming is happening has increased 4 percentage points, while belief that it is mostly human-caused has increased 9 percentage points since the Fall of 2017. Republicans are also more worried about global warming than they were in the Fall (+5 points).
It appears that the ‘Trump Effect’ – in which Republican opinions on climate change declined after the 2016 election – has bottomed out. Republican opinions have rebounded – in some cases to new record highs. Republican support for strict carbon dioxide limits on existing coal-fired power plants increased 9 points and support for requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a revenue-neutral carbon tax rose 7 points since Fall 2017.
More broadly, public support for a variety of climate and clean energy policies remains strong and bipartisan. Large majorities of registered voters support:
- Funding more research on renewable energy (87% support), including 94% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 79% of Republicans.
- Generating renewable energy on public land (86% support), including 91% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 81% of Republicans.
- Providing tax rebates to people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels (85% support), including 91% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 77% of Republicans (+6 points since Fall 2017).
- Regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant (81% support), including 91% of Democrats, 80% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans (+8 points since Fall 2017).
Few registered voters think the United States should use more coal (12%; 6% of Democrats, 14% of Independents, and 18% of Republicans) or oil in the future (11%; 7% of Democrats, and 16% of both Independents and Republicans).
By contrast, solid majorities of registered Democrats, Independents, and Republicans say the United States should use more solar energy (80%; 84% of Democrats, 80% of Independents, and 75% of Republicans) and wind energy in the future (73%; 82% of Democrats, 75% of Independents, and 62% of Republicans).
Regarding the 2018 Congressional election, 38% of registered voters say a candidates' position on global warming will be very important when they decide who they will vote for. When asked how important 28 different issues would be in determining who they vote for in the 2018 election, registered voters ranked global warming 15th overall. But among liberal Democrats, global warming was voting issue #4, after healthcare, gun policies, and environmental protection more generally.
Global warming is now a leading issue among the Democratic base. Despite the increase in Republican beliefs and attitudes over the past 6 months, however, it remains a low priority issue among Republicans.
These and many other fascinating results about Americans’ demand for action by companies, citizens, and governments, and individual willingness to get politically involved are available in the online report, including breakdowns by political party and ideology (liberal to conservative).
Environmental Consulting & Sustainable Technology Engineering
6 年Your chart list issues I believe in. It has changed where I thought I stood on political issues from a conservative/moderate Democratic to a liberal Democratic. Interesting? I was a long time Republican through the beginning of the last Bush administration. I do not understand nor condone the republican party line at this time. We as Americans need to take back America not as a “blue or red party supporter” but as a united people. We the people . . . I just want to be an American again!
Senior Research Fellow and MAHB Director of Production
6 年This is a really interesting graph. I am just surprised that the Democrats seem to have slightly cooled re. climate change?
Program Analyst IV
6 年It’s all a ruse to perpetuate an agenda!
Cybersecurity Solutions and Green Technology
6 年We live in a "spun" world with plenty of greenwashing around targets, treaties, tariffs and goals. There is much hypocrisy going around too, where actions don't align with spoken words. The public sector thrives on creating tortured charts that even the authors quietly know are fabricated lies. Better news in the private sector. There are plenty of emerging companies doing great things around land / sea waste cleanup, alternative fuel stocks, building conservation and many more. There is hope. To the extent John and Jane Doe gravitate to companies that have serious dedication to environmental stewardship, that becomes a competitive discriminator.