American Climate Perspectives: 2017 Annual Summaryecoamerica.org/wp...american-climate-perspectives-2017-annual-su… · Environmental protections are absolutely critical, no matter

Belief and Concern: Concern for Our Climate Climbs | 3

American Climate Perspectives:2017 Annual Summary

Belief and Concern: Concern for our climate climbs

American Climate Perspectives: Annual Summary | 2

Majority of Americans think the rise in global tempertatures is due to human activities,but not all agree it is the sole cause:

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

201720162015

The Earth is warming mostlybecause of human activity (Pew)

Climate change is happening mainlydue to human activities(ecoAmerica)

Global warming is caused mostlyby human activities (Yale)

Climate change is caused entirelyby human activity(Saint Leo University)

Global warming is causedby human activities (Gallup)55

1622

45

65

16

26

44

68

16

38

585553

% of Americans that believe...


Within the past year, personal concern has soared and reached an all time high over thepast 30 years:

% of Americans that are personally concerned a great deal about global warming or climate change


40%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0

1989

1990

1991

1997

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Gallup

Yale

Quinnnipiac UniversitySaint Leo University

24%

41%45%

73%

75%

76%

66%62%

49%

61%

Americans are concerned about the enviroment’s quality:

Gallup (2004-2017)

% of Americans that are...


70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Worried a great deal about the quality of the environment

Concerned a great deal aboutpollution of drinking water59%58%

48%

60%63%

43%

31%

47%

34%35%

53%

More Americans think the quality our environment is getting worse:

Gallup (2013-2017)

Note: Large partisan gaps exist amongst this question with 53% of Republicans saying the future of the

environment is getting better, whereas only 22% of Democrats agree with this.

% of Americans that think the quality of the environment is getting better vs. getting worse


0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

41% 41%37%

36%

42%

49%50% 51%

56% 57%Getting worse

Getting better

While many pit the economy against our environment, Americans agree theenvironment is a priority:

Gallup (1984-2017)

% of Americans that priortize...


0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1984

1990

1991

1992

1995 1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Environment

Economic growth32%

19%24%

44%

27%

51%54%

41%

35%

56%

71%

56% 47%

55%

42%

46%

In context of issues our nation faces, climate remains low:


What would you think is the most important problem facing the country today?

August 2017 (%) April 2017 (%) October 2016 (%)

Economy in general 20 24 31

Unemployment/jobs 7 5 6

Dissatisfaction with government/poor leadership

20 21 12

Healthcare 17 9 4

Unifying the country 6 7 2

Race relations/racism 7 4 10

Education 3 3 2

Environment/pollution 2 4 3Gallup (2016-2017)

Energy: American support for clean energy mounts


Americans support clean energy:

% of Americans that favor expansion or more production of...

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0

Wind and solar Wind Solar Natural Gas Oil Fracking

ecoAmerica (2016) and Pew (2016)*Note no data exists from ecoAmerica on wind, solar, and fracking separately

88 838389

61

42 42 4245

PewecoAmerica


Americans increasingly see the priority of clean energy for America’s energy supply:

Pew (2011-2017)

% of Americans that priortize...


70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

02011 2012 2013 2014 2017

63%

47%

58%60%

65%

29%

39%

34%30%

27%

Wind, solar, and otheralternative energy sources

Production of oil, coal, andnatural gas

Americans think energy independence is of upmost importance:

Quinnipiac University (2017)

60%Very important

32%Somewhat important

5%Not so important

2%Not important at all


More Americans now oppose oil exploration on federal lands:

Gallup (2012-2017) OpposeFavor

% of Americans that favor vs. oppose oil exploration on federal lands


0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

201720142012

65

34

58

4146

53

Over half of Americans oppose fracking and are split on whether we should use coal:

% of Americans who encourage vs. discourage coal and fracking


Coal

Fracking


Gallup (2017)

36%Encourage

Encourage

56%Discourage

53%Discourage

12%Don’t know

8%Don’t know

35%

45%

40%

35%

30%

2015 2016 2017Gallup (2015-2017)

% of Americans that support fracking


Support for fracking continues to decline:

40%

36%35%

However, Americans are divided on advancing major oil pipelines:

Rasmussen Gallup Pew Quinnipiac University Gallup (2017), Quinnipiac University (2017), Rasmussen (2017), Pew (2017)

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

SupportOppose

43

39

48

50

% of Americans that oppose vs. support the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines in 2017


60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

51

36

42

40

% of Americans that prioritze environment vs. those that prioritize energy production

Gallup (2001-2017)


Americans are increasingly putting the environment before energy production:

52%

58% 59%

41%

36% 34% 34%

Prioritize environment

Prioritize energy production

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014 20

1520

1620

17

44%

48% 50%45%

Solutions: Americans are quickly turning solutions thatbenefit our environment and economy


What Americans say our priority should be in addressing our energy supply:

% of Americans who agree how we should be solving America’s energy supply

Gallup (2011-2017), Pew (2011-2014,2017)*Note none of the pollings have 2015 data


Emphasize alternativeenergy (Gallup)Alternative sources suchas wind, solar (Pew)

Expand production of oil, coal, and natural gas (Pew)

Emphasize production of oil, gas and coal(Gallup)

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

02011 2012 2013 2014 2016 2017

26%

34%31%

32%

21% 23%

29%

39%

30%

34%

27%

63%

47% 58%

65% 65%

66%

59% 59%

64%

72% 71%

Americans increasingly favor charging large companies fees for their pollution:

ecoAmerica (2015-2016)

% of Americans that favor vs. oppose


0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

2015 2016

55

77

6

16

75

8

18

Total Favor Strongly Favor Total Oppose Strongly Oppose

50

Americans support taxing carbon, especially when the tax money goes towardsdeveloping more clean energy:

ecoAmerica (2017), University of Michigan (2017)*Note no data exists for "Not specified" from ecoAmerica

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Income tax rebateReduce federal debtNot specified Fund research anddevelopment of renewables

ecoAmerica

University of Michigan

5042

24

62

11

66 66


If there were a fee or tax on climate change pollution, how should the U.S. use the money?

Support especially grows amongst Republicans when researchers specified where the taxmoney would go:

0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Revenue to fundresearch anddevelopmentof renewables

Not specified0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


Not specified0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Support

Oppose


Not specified

University of Michigan (2017)

RepublicansIndependentsDemocrats

66

26

77

19

47

40

70

26

30

63

45

49


Support also builds when options such as improving education and health servicesis provided:

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Fund development of newclean energy sources

Reduce our federal debt

Rebate the money equallyto all citizens

Reduce the corporateincome tax

Improve education andhealth services

We should nottax carbon 13

33

5

11

24

66

ecoAmerica (2017)

If there were a fee or tax on climate change pollution, how should the U.S. use the money?


Americans believe we can act on climate solutions and grow our economy:

*Quinnipiac University (2017),**Saint Leo University (2017),***ecoAmerica(2017), ****Ipsos/Reuters(2017)

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Reducing globalwarming will hurt

jobs and theeconomy ****

Removingenvironmental

proections will hurtthe economy***

Clean energy willcreate new jobsand growth****

Clean energycreates more jobsthan fossil fuels***

Environmentalprotections are

absolutely critical,no matter what**

Environmentalprotection create

new economicopportunities**

The U.S. can combatclimate change andprotect jobs at the

same time*

68

3237

40

70

31

14


% of Americans that agree...


Behaviors: How Americans are acting on solutions

A majority of Americans are loyal to and trust companies that support socialand environmental issues:

Cone Communications (2017)

% of Americans that say when a company supports social or environmental issues they...


Have a more positive imageof the company

Would be more likely to trustthe company

Would be more loyal tothe company

93%

90%

91%

92%

87%

88%

87%87%

95%

93%

92%

91%

90%

89%

88%

87%

86%

85%

84%2013 2015 2017

90%

Where do Americans stand on taking action themselves?

0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Bought or sold stocksor mutual funds basedon the environmentalrecord of companies

Contacted a businessto complain about its

products or policies thatharm the environment

Voluntarily recycledBought some productspecifically because it

was better forthe environment

Contacted a publico�cial about an

environmental issue

Been active inan environmental

group or organization

2000

2017

15 18

73

90

139

21 20

66

89

11 9

Personal actions on climate haven't shifted much over the past decade

Gallup (2000, 2017)


Activism: Reflecting on the 2017 science marches,protests, and demonstrations


Americans are divided on the e�ectiveness the April 2017 science marches:

Don’t know

Oppose goals of marches

Support goals of marches

Don’t know

Marches will make no di�erencefor public support for science

Marches about science will helppublic support for science

0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

Republicans/Lean Rep

Pew (2017)

Pew (2017)

National 48 26 26

25 47 29

Democrats/Lean Dem 68 14 18

0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Democrats/Lean Dem

Republicans/Lean Rep

National 44 44 7

22 60 13

61 32 3


% of Americans who support vs. oppose the marches

% of Americans who think the marches help vs. make no di�erence

% of U.S. adults who say protests, marches and demonstrations about science held in April 2017 will be e�ective at...


About half of Americans say the climate marches will increase and encourage e�ortsfor science and policy collaboration:

Encouraging scientists to be more active in civic and public a�airs

Pew (2017)

Increasing e�orts to address global climate change

Raising support for government funding of science

Encouraging policymakers to rely more on advice of scientific experts

59%

49%

48%

49%

Nearly half of Americans believe participation in the climate marches stems fromopposition to Trump:

17%Not a reason

22%A minor reason

48%A major reason

Pew (2017)

% of Americans that think Trump's handling of science issues is amajor vs. minor reason for participation in the 2017 climate marches



Politics: Climate wedges a political divide

Large disparities exist among political a�liation when it comes to climate change:


0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

4569

76

4740

18

8043

45

9462

66

ecoAmerica

QuinnipiacUniversity

Gallup

Gallup (2017), ecoAmerica (2017), Quinnipiac University (2017)

% of Americans concerned about climate change

National

Republicans

Independents

Democrats

Americans are concerned about climate change:

2016


% of Americans concerned a great deal about climate change

Gallup

ecoAmericaRepublicans

Independents

Democrats

National

ecoAmerica (2016), Gallup (2016)

38

37

49

57

36

34

23

18

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

In the past year concern has jumped across the political spectrum, with theexception of Republicans:

2017

Republicans

Independents

Democrats

National

ecoAmerica (2017), Gallup (2017)


% of Americans concerned a great deal about climate change

41

45

62

66

43

45

16

18Gallup

ecoAmerica

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

President Trump and Government: The role of climatepolicy for America's future


More Americans say we need regulation to combat climate change:

% of Americans that say Trump should remove regulations that combat climate change vs. those who disagree



9%Don’t know

66%Should not

25%Should

Diving into specifics we see Americans disagree with Trump’s anti-climate agenda,especially when it comes to clean energy:

% of Americans that agree vs. disagree with President Trump that America should...

ecoAmerica (2017)


0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Reduce the authority of the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) to regulate

climate change pollution

2963

Remove federal funding forclean energy projects 71

19

Open public lands to coal mining 6525

Remove restrictions on o�shoreoil and gas drilling 59

31

Cut the budget for the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) by 30% 63

30

Eliminate the fuel economy mandate requiringcars get a minimum of 54.5 miles per gallon 56

31

% Total disagree

% Total agree

On the issue of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):% of Americans that favor vs. oppose cutting the EPA’s budget


Rasmussen

Rasmussen (2017)

ecoAmerica

ecoAmerica (2017)

44%Favor

30%Favor

46%Oppose

10%Don’t know

63%Oppose

4%Don’t know

Across the political spectrum Americans strongly disagree with President Trumpthat America should remove restrictions on o�shore oil and gas drilling:

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree

Independents

Democrats

Republicans

ecoAmerica (2017)

% of Americans that strongly disagree vs. strongly agree

13

44

70

34

8

4


20% 10%

Republicans are also likely to agree with Trump’s executive orders at rates double ormore than Democrats or Independents:


% Total agree, findings by political party

Remove restrictions on

o�shore oil andgas drilling

Republican

Independent

Democrat

58% 61% 61% 60%

28% 27% 26%

13% 7%

30%

13%

54%

20%

9%

44%

14%

7% 8%

Eliminate the fueleconomy mandaterequiring cars get a minimum of 54.5

miles per gallon

Cut the budget forthe EPA by 30%

Open public landsto coal mining

Remove federalfunding for cleanenergy projects

Reduce theauthority of theEPA to regulateclimate change

pollution

ecoAmerica (2017)

Yet, Trump voters favor most climate solutions:


% of Trump voters that favor vs. oppose the following…

Yale (2017) Oppose/Disagree Favor/Agree

0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

Generating wind and solar onpublic land

23 77

More drilling and mining of fossilfuels on public land

7227

Funding more research of clean energy

7128

Providing tax rebates to peoplewho purchase energy e�cient

vehicles and solar panels

6929

60% 40% 20%

And in recent turn of events, Trump has acted out against what his voters andAmericans want:

% of Americans that agree vs. disagree with Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

ecoAmerica (2017)


I strongly agree with it (10%) I disagree with it (9%)I agree with it (9%) I strongly disagree with it (25%) I don’t know (47%)

Nearly half of Trump voters disagree with his withdrawl from the Paris Agreement:

47%Should

participate

25%Don’t know

28%Should notparticipate

Yale (2016)


% of Trump voters that support vs. oppose the withdrawl from the Paris agreement

A majority of Americans say we should remain in the agreement:

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Don't knowShould not participate /Approve of withdrawl

Should participate /Disapprove of withdrawl

Ipsos/Reuters

Quinnipiac University

Washington Post/ABC

Rasmussen

Morning Consult/POLITICO

Yale

Yale (2016), Rasmussen (2017), Morning Consult/POLITICO (2017), WashingtonPost/ABC (2017) Ipsos/Reuters (2017), Quinnipiac University (2017)*Note there is no 2017 data from Rasmussen or Quinnipiac University

69

6057 59

47

62

13

30

2428

39

32

17 19

13 15


Following the announcement to pull out of the agreement, Americans still say weshould lead on climate action, but are divided on dedicating funds toward the cause:

10%No

17%Unsure

Do you approve of the United States workingwith other countries to limit global warming?

Should the United States lead the fight againstclimate change?

73%Yes

14%Unsure

22%Disagree

68%Agree

Ipsos/Reuters (2017)


Americans who agree the U.S. should:




Support the creation of a $100 billion internationally managed fund to help developing countries adapt to climate change

Follow through on a $3 billion pledge to help developing countries adapt to climate change

23%Stronglyagree

20%Stronglyagree

47%Total agree

39%Total disagree

47%Total agree

39%Total disagree

Americans don’t agree on the ramifications of pulling out of the agreement:% of Americans that say the following is likely due to the U.S. withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement

0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

U.S. will not be seen as aleader on global issues

U.S. will be able tonegotiate a betterclimate agreement

with other countries

U.S. economy will bestronger

U.S. relations with othercountries will su�er

Global temperatures willrise faster

National

Democrats

Republicans

Independents


63

78

50

70

37

21

59

3541

21

71

31

64

83

45

71

50

74

25

52



Bringing It Home: Americans turn to their communitiesto take up the mantle on climate solutions

% of Americans that say we could address climate change e�ectively, but our government is broken and can’t agree on how to do it

Americans know we can’t wait for Washington to act:

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%30% 20% 10%

Total disagree

Strongly disagree

Total agree

Strongly agree

19

7

74

42

ecoAmerica (2016)


Who Americans believe will act on climate solutions:

% of Americans that think that the following is most likely to advance climate solutions


2016

2015

ecoAmerica (2016)

State government (12%) Local government (12%)Private sector (45%) Federal government (31%)

ecoAmerica (2015)State government (15%) Local government (11%)Private sector (43%) Federal government (31%)

Who Americans think is best able to protect the environment:


0 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Environmentalactivists

The businesscommunity

States

Congress

The President


Independents

Republicans

Democrats

National

% of Americans total agree

13

14

23

18

14

13

16

20

20

14

19

14

12

27

26

7

11

19

17

18

Americans want to bring solutions home to their communities and take on action:

0

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

All the aboveTalking to the publicabout climate change

Educating othersabout climate change

Purchasing renewableenergy like wind and solar

Conserving energy

ecoAmerica (2016) My city or town is... I wish my city or town were...

3230

19

27

16

24

11

20

7

39


What Americans say their city or town is doing vs. what they wish they were doing

Americans believe they personally, and we collectively,can and need to take action on climate:

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Need to take action nowto reduce the pollution that is

causing climate change

Need to take action nowto reduce the pollution that is


Can help reduce thepollution that is


Can help reduce thepollution that is


0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

ecoAmerica (2016)

Total Agree Strongly Agree

We...I...

72 7378 80

3641

52

59


Americans are very hopeful for the future:

% of Americans that agree vs. disagree that we can reduce the pollution that is causing climate change

17%Disagree

78%Agree

ecoAmerica (2016)


Thank you!ecoAmerica builds a critical mass of institutional leadership,

public support and political will for definitive climate solutions in the United States.

Learn more at ecoAmerica.org

American Climate Perspectives: 2017 Annual Summaryecoamerica.org/wp...american-climate-perspectives-2017-annual-su… · Environmental protections are absolutely critical, no matter

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