Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

2. Support for Policies to Reduce the Pollution that Causes Global Warming

2.1 Most registered voters support climate-friendly policies.

Registered voters across the political spectrum support many policies designed to reduce carbon pollution and fossil fuel dependence and promote clean energy, including:

• Providing federal funding to help farmers improve practices to protect and restore the soil so it absorbs and stores more carbon: 88% of registered voters, including 96% of liberal Democrats, 94% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 88% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 78% of conservative Republicans.
• Funding more research into renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power: 77% of registered voters, including 98% of liberal Democrats, 93% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 62% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 50% of conservative Republicans.
• Setting strict limits on methane emissions from oil and gas production: 74% of registered voters, including 98% of liberal Democrats, 91% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 64% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 44% of conservative Republicans.
• Regulating carbon dioxide (the primary greenhouse gas) as a pollutant: 73% of registered voters, including 95% of liberal Democrats, 91% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 61% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 47% of conservative Republicans.
• Providing tax credits or rebates to encourage people to buy electric appliances, such as heat pumps and induction stoves, that run on electricity instead of oil or gas: 69% of registered voters, including 94% of liberal Democrats, 86% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 60% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 37% of conservative Republicans.
• Funding more research on global warming and climate change by federal agencies such as NASA, NOAA, and the EPA: 69% of registered voters, including 94% of liberal Democrats, 95% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 54% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 34% of conservative Republicans.
• Requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a carbon tax and use the money to reduce other taxes (such as income tax) by an equal amount: 67% of registered voters, including 94% of liberal Democrats, 85% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 54% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 31% of conservative Republicans.
• Transitioning the U.S. economy (including electric utilities, transportation, buildings, and industry) from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050: 63% of registered voters, including 94% of liberal Democrats, 88% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 42% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 27% of conservative Republicans.
• Providing tax rebates for people who purchase electric vehicles: 58% of registered voters, including 91% of liberal Democrats, 70% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 42% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 28% of conservative Republicans.

2.2 A large majority of registered voters support generating renewable energy on public land.

A large majority of registered voters (76%) support generating renewable energy (solar and wind) on public land in the United States. This includes a large majority of liberal Democrats (92%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (89%) as well as a majority of liberal/moderate Republicans (69%) and half of conservative Republicans (50%).

Fewer registered voters support fossil-fuel production in the United States, including:

• Expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast: 51% of registered voters; 78% of conservative Republicans, 72% of liberal/moderate Republicans, 41% of moderate/conservative Democrats, and 19% of liberal Democrats.
• Drilling for and mining fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) on public land in the U.S.: 46% of registered voters; 81% of conservative Republicans, 61% of liberal/moderate Republicans, 33% of moderate/conservative Democrats, and 15% of liberal Democrats.
• Drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: 32% of registered voters; 59% of conservative Republicans, 42% of liberal/moderate Republicans, 24% of moderate/conservative Democrats, and 8% of liberal Democrats.

2.3 A large majority of registered voters support policies that promote climate justice goals.

A large majority of registered voters across the political spectrum support a variety of policies that promote climate justice goals, including the following:

• Providing federal funding to make buildings in low-income communities more energy efficient: 77% of registered voters, including 97% of liberal Democrats, 98% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 65% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 50% of conservative Republicans.
• Strengthening enforcement of industrial pollution limits in low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by air and water pollution: 76% of registered voters, including 96% of liberal Democrats, 94% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 67% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 47% of conservative Republicans.
• Developing a national program to train people who work in the fossil fuel industry for new jobs in the renewable energy industry (such as wind and solar): 75% of registered voters, including 98% of liberal Democrats, 96% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 59% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 43% of conservative Republicans.
• Increasing federal funding to low-income communities and communities of color who are disproportionately impacted by air and water pollution: 69% of registered voters, including 96% of liberal Democrats, 91% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 48% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 36% of conservative Republicans.