Tuesday, January 19, 2021
GMO test
  • Politics
    • American Politics
    • Canadian Politics
    • International Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
    • Corporate Culture
    • Leadership
    • Marketing
    • Supply Chains
  • Economy
    • Jobs
    • The Green Economy
    • GDP
  • Energy
    • Solar
    • Wind
    • Fossil Fuels
    • Renewables
  • Environment
    • Emissions
    • Wildfires
    • Biodiversity
    • Extreme Weather
  • Technology
    • Food
    • Health
    • Buildings
    • Renewables
    • Carbon Capture
    • Transportation
    • Climate Change
  • Social Change
    • Activism
    • Education
    • Psychology
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
    • American Politics
    • Canadian Politics
    • International Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
    • Corporate Culture
    • Leadership
    • Marketing
    • Supply Chains
  • Economy
    • Jobs
    • The Green Economy
    • GDP
  • Energy
    • Solar
    • Wind
    • Fossil Fuels
    • Renewables
  • Environment
    • Emissions
    • Wildfires
    • Biodiversity
    • Extreme Weather
  • Technology
    • Food
    • Health
    • Buildings
    • Renewables
    • Carbon Capture
    • Transportation
    • Climate Change
  • Social Change
    • Activism
    • Education
    • Psychology
No Result
View All Result
GMO test
No Result
View All Result
Home Uncategorized

Polls Suggest the GOP’s Climate and Environment Disinformation Efforts are Faltering

by Richard Matthews
June 18, 2019
in Uncategorized
0

Support for climate action and environmental protections is gaining ground despite the early success of the GOP’s disinformation efforts. These polls reveal an ever expanding gulf between the views of Americans and the ruling Republican administration. While polls show that a growing number of Americans, including Republicans, increasingly acknowledge the veracity of climate change, President Donald Trump and members of his administration deny the facts.

In response to his own government’s report Trump said, “I don’t believe it,” and Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, it’s “not based on facts”. For, Trump and GOP anti-science climate denial is doctrine.  In the first year of this administration they succeeded in convincing millions of Republicans that climate change is not caused by human activities.

The GOPs disinformation efforts have resonated with Republicans. According to a Gallup poll the number of Republicans that believed in anthropogenic climate change at the start of the Trump administration’s term was 40 percent, by March 2018 it dropped to 33 percent. However, these disinformation efforts have not succeeded with Democrats. Their belief in anthropogenic global warming has increased from 87 percent to 89 percent during the same time frames. 

Americans are divided along partisan lines which supports the contention that disinformation campaigns work with Republicans but not Democrats. According to a Pew Research poll there has been a 22 percent decline in the number of Republicans who think environmental regulations are worth the cost (58% in 2007 and 36% in 2017). More than twice as many Democrats support environmental protections and renewable energy (68% of Democrats vs 32% of Republicans).

It is interesting to note that the Pew survey shows that in 2001 roughly the same percentage of Americans from both parties supported scientific research. However, after more than a decade and a half of disinformation support from Republicans declined substantially compared to Democrats.

Despite the successful disinformation efforts of the GOP there is evidence to suggest the tides may be turning. According to another Pew survey conducted earlier this year, 63 percent of U.S. adults say stricter environmental regulations are “worth the cost,” up from 59 percent two years ago. What is really interesting is the finding that support for environmental regulations is also increasing among Republicans, with 45 percent saying the cost of environmental regulations is worth it compared to 36 percent in 2017.

Perhaps the most troubling poll for the GOP’s disinformation efforts is the finding that most Americans do not buy the Republican position on
climate change. According to a February 2019 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, almost two-thirds of Americans say that the Republican Party’s
position on climate change is “outside the mainstream”. This is an
increase of almost 10 percentage points since the question was last
asked in 2015.

According to a March, 2019 Gallup poll, 65 percent of Americans prioritize the environment compared  to 30 who do not. This is the largest pro-environment margin since 2000. This represent an 8 point increase from 2018. Younger people (under 35) prioritize the environment more than do older people (over 35).

Despite these surveys Republicans are still the largest group opposed to environmental protection with party affiliation being single biggest determinant. Eighty two percent of Democrats and 71 percent of independents said they prioritize environmental protection, versus only 35 percent of Republicans.

As reported in the Atlantic, several recent polls reveal that there is a nearly 10-point surge in concern about climate change among Americans. “We’ve not seen anything like that in the 10 years we’ve been conducting the study,” Anthony Leiserowitz, a researcher at Yale, told the Atlantic’s Robsinson Meyer.

Extreme weather events are driving concern about climate change. Depending on where you live, flooding, hurricanes, droughts, superstorms and Nor’easters are all making it hard for people to ignore climate change.

A poll by ecoAmerica and Lake Research Partners’ 2018 American Climate Metrics Survey indicates that 88 percent of Americans believe we have a moral responsibility to create a safe and healthy climate for ourselves and our children (87% Rural, 87% Suburban, and 90% Urban). Large majorities of Americans “across all community types believe urgent action is needed to reduce the pollution that is causing climate change. They also all believe that the U.S. should produce more wind and solar energy, and less coal. This consensus constitutes a strong foundation of public support for solutions,” the report said.

In terms of who Americans trust for guidance on the issue the study found that health professionals were the most trusted, followed by the media and local community leaders. Trust is lowest for the President and federal elected officials. It is interesting to note that rural Americans are twice as likely to trust the President than Urban Americans.

As reported by Wired, a Monmouth University poll suggests that the number of Republicans who accept the veracity of climate change is increasing. In 2016 less than half (49%) of Republicans accepted the reality of climate change, by last December that number rose to almost two thirds (63%).

A poll by Yale’s and George Mason University’s programs on climate change communication saw an 8 point increase in the number of Americans who are “very worried” about climate change. The survey found that 81 percent of Americans support the general concept of a green new deal including 57 percent of conservative Republicans.

Republicans will eventually be forced to embrace the facts about climate change, however, that pivot may come too late.  As Meyer pointed out, “at some point, a crisis gets so bad that it becomes unignorable”. We may be crossing that threshold and it will expose decades of unconscionable disinformation from the GOP.

Related
Polls Reveal Increased Acceptance of Climate Change Alongside Entrenched Republican Ignorance 
Republicans Oppose Democrats Efforts to Revive the Paris Climate Agreement

ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

UK Businesses Support the Government’s Net Zero Emissions Plan

Next Post

Swedish Government is Commmitted to 100 Percent Renewables and Negative Emissions

Related Posts

Unprecedented Wildfires in 2020 are Connected to Climate Change

by Richard Matthews
December 29, 2020
0

The intense wildfires that raged across the Western U.S., South America, and Australia in 2020 are being attributed to climate change. What makes these fires unprecedented is their size and...

American Courts are Defending Democracy and the Environment

by Richard Matthews
December 14, 2020
0

Despite unprecedented challenges, America's legal system has held. In recent weeks the courts have repeatedly defended democracy and in the last four years they have overturned a wide range of environmental...

Boycott Culture and Brand Influence During Trump’s Presidency and Beyond

by Richard Matthews
December 8, 2020
0

Brands wield enormous influence over popular culture and whether they are pursuing core social values or trying to preempt boycotts, brands are finding it harder to ignore social, environmental and political...

Next Post

Swedish Government is Commmitted to 100 Percent Renewables and Negative Emissions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • SoundCloud

Subscribe to the Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

American Politics

Taking Stock of Trump’s Dismal Legacy

by Richard Matthews
January 19, 2021
0

Trump's presidency ended as it began, with dysfunction and narcissistic self-preoccupation. The presidency of Donald J Trump is a stain that...

Read more

Corporate America’s Break Up with Trump & the GOP

January 15, 2021

Climate Change is Fueling Deadly Extreme Weather and Costly Climate Disasters

January 13, 2021
protected areas and new species on the map of the world

Summary of Positive Biodiversity Stories

January 11, 2021
images of extreme weather events

Long Term Warming Trends Tell Us What We Need to Know

January 9, 2021
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Technology
  • Social Change

© 2021 Copyright The Green Market Oracle.

No Result
View All Result
  • Business
    • Corporate Culture
    • Leadership
    • Marketing
    • Supply Chains
  • Economy
    • GDP
    • Jobs
    • The Green Economy
  • Energy
    • Fossil Fuels
    • Renewables
    • Solar
    • Wind
  • Environment
    • Emissions
    • Biodiversity
    • Extreme Weather
    • Wildfires
  • Investing
  • Politics
    • American Politics
    • Canadian Politics
    • International Politics
  • Technology
    • Buildings
    • Carbon Capture
    • Climate Change
    • Food
    • Transportation
    • Health
    • Renewables
  • Social Change
    • Education
    • Activism
    • Psychology
    • Marches

© 2021 Copyright The Green Market Oracle.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In