Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

6. Political Actions to Limit Global Warming

6.1. Many registered voters are willing to take political actions to reduce global warming.

More than half of registered voters (57%) say they would sign a petition about global warming, including majorities of liberal Democrats (86%), moderate/conservative Democrats (69%), and liberal/Moderate Republicans (60%), but very few conservative Republicans (17%). About three in ten or more registered voters say they would donate money (34%) or volunteer their time (31%) to an organization working on global warming. One in three (33%) would contact government officials about global warming and one in four (25%) would meet with an elected official or their staff.

About three in ten registered voters (29%) would support an organization engaging in non-violent civil disobedience against corporate or government activities that make global warming worse, and 15% (including 32% of liberal Democrats) would personally engage in such non-violent civil disobedience.

6.2. Relatively few registered voters have engaged in political actions to reduce global warming in the past year.

Relatively few registered voters have engaged in political actions to reduce global warming over the past 12 months, including 19% who say they have signed a petition about global warming at least “once,” and 15% who say they have donated money to an organization working on global warming at least “once.” Fewer (6%) have volunteered their time to an organization working on global warming at least “once” in the past year. Liberal Democrats are the most likely to say they have engaged in these actions while conservative Republicans are the least likely.

6.3. One in ten registered voters have urged elected officials to reduce global warming.

One in ten registered voters (10%) have contacted government officials to urge them to take action to reduce global warming at least “once” over the past 12 months. This includes 22% of liberal Democrats, seven percent of both moderate/conservative Democrats and liberal/moderate Republicans, and four percent of conservative Republicans.

6.4. About three in ten registered voters are participating, or willing to participate, in a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming. Actual participation in a campaign remains low.

A total of three in ten registered voters (30%) say they are “probably” (20%) or “definitely” (9%) willing to join a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming or are already currently participating such a campaign (1%; see data tables). This includes a total of 55% of liberal Democrats (2% “currently,” 16% “definitely,” and 37% “probably”), 36% of moderate/conservative Democrats (1% “currently,” 8% “definitely,” and 28% “probably”), and 19% of liberal/moderate Republicans (3% “currently,” 3% “definitely,” and 13% “probably”), but only eight percent of conservative Republicans (less than 1% “currently,” 4% “definitely,” and 4% “probably).