Data for Climate Progress — New Year, New BBB (?) — 02.02.22
Policy
A Breath of Fresh Air: Policies for Comprehensive Asthma Mitigation in New York State
Our new memo by Julia Jeanty and Data for Progress fellow Garima Raheja details policies for comprehensive asthma mitigation in New York state.
The memo, which focuses heavily on the intersections between environmental justice and asthma, includes polling that demonstrates that among likely voters nationwide, almost all Democrats (86 percent), roughly two-thirds of Independents (65 percent), and nearly half of Republicans (43 percent) support stricter limits on air pollution.
Black voters are particularly concerned about air pollution, with 85 percent of likely Black voters in favor of increasing environmental regulations to mitigate air pollution.
We also released a brief for policymakers that synthesizes the memo’s recommendations for abating asthma in New York.
How Blue States and Cities Can Expand Abortion Access
ICYMI, Arielle Swernoff explained what policymakers in liberal states and cities can do to protect, and even expand, abortion access nationwide in a memo last year. This memo came as the Supreme Court was weighing overturning Roe v. Wade and in the midst of the oppressive Texas abortion law.
Reforming Clean Energy Tax Credits
Senator Ron Wyden joined DFP as a guest blogger calling on Congress to reform clean energy tax credits through the BBBA. The clean energy provisions in BBBA are projected to reduce carbon emissions in the power sector by 73 percent within the next decade.
Our polling finds that voters — including a majority of Republicans — support the Clean Energy for America Act's "direct pay" provision, which would improve access to clean energy tax credits for rural power providers.
Polling
Voters Say It’s Time for Congress to Take Action on Climate Change
Our latest polling with Climate Power finds that voters across party lines are overwhelmingly concerned about pollution and extreme weather, and they want Congress to act.
We find that two-thirds of all voters (70 percent) — including a majority of Independents (71 percent) and roughly half of Republicans (46 percent) — think it is “very” or “somewhat” important that Congress takes action to address climate change.
When voters are informed about the Build Back Better Act’s investments in climate and clean energy, we find the proposal enjoys a +39-point margin of support.
Additionally, voters are more supportive of tax credits for electric vehicles when they are told consumers will receive larger incentives for purchasing American, union-made cars.
Climate Change Is A Risk To Our Economy — and Voters Want The Government To Act
In a new poll with our friends at Evergreen Action, we find that nearly three-quarters of voters (73 percent) think climate change poses a “significant threat” or “somewhat of a threat” to the U.S. economy.
Likewise, a majority of voters (62 percent) think the federal government should take actions to minimize climate-related financial risks
With the Senate slated to hold confirmation hearings for the Federal Reserve’s new senior leadership, it is clear that voters want the federal government to exercise its mandate to prevent a future financial crisis caused by climate change.
Actions Speak Louder Than Vague Net-Zero Pledges
In a new blog, DFP’s Chief Technology Officer Jason Katz-Brown and Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow, analyze new polling that finds voters want companies to have concrete commitments for their climate plans.
Voters across party lines prefer companies pledging to reduce their carbon emissions by 5% a year over the next decade rather than a pledge to reduce 50% of emissions by 2030.
To enforce these yearly emissions goals, a majority of voters (58 percent) support tying executive compensation to a 5 percent emissions reduction per year for the next 10 years.
Cross-Cutting Issues
How Build Back Better and USICA Can Strengthen Supply Chains and Fight Inflation
In June, the Senate passed the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), a bill to boost U.S. manufacturing and supply chain resilience. Last week, the House introduced the America COMPETES Act, in response to USICA which would make significant investments in R&D and help tackle the supply chain and inflation issues facing our nation.
Our latest polling finds that a majority of voters support USICA by a +57-point margin. Support includes Independents by a +58-point margin and Republicans by a +36-point margin. .
Our new blog by Matt Mazewski makes the case for how BBBA and USICA would strengthen supply chains and help to address inflation.
Our recent message testing on inflation shows that we should emphasize policy solutions and record corporate profits. Voters most strongly agree that we need to bring back manufacturing jobs in the United States to drive down prices, and our supply chains need to be housed here at home, rather than outsourced abroad.
Texas Power Outages and Grid Resiliency
This February marks the 1-year anniversary of the Texas power outages that left millions of Texans without electricity and claimed hundreds of lives. Texas officials were quick to blame renewables for the extensive power outages last year, however DFP polling found that most voters didn’t believe that investments in renewable energy and frozen wind turbines were to blame. Over three-quarters of Democrats (77 percent) and nearly two-thirds of independents (63 percent) believed the blackouts were caused by failures at power plants of all energy sources. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of voters said unusually cold winter weather caused Texas power plants — including coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewables — to go offline. Another winter storm is projected to affect the state of Texas this week, putting its power grid to the test yet again.
Stay tuned for more from Data for Progress on this.
We’re Hiring
DFP is hiring for a number of positions! We're looking for a Strategic Partnerships Coordinator to help disseminate DFP polling, research, and policy proposals with movement partners, foundations, and congressional offices.
We’re also looking for a part-time Project Assistant to help us advance progressive policies for carbon removal at state and federal levels.
DFP is also hiring a Polling Analyst to help us conduct cutting-edge survey research that empowers progressive movements.
For information on additional job openings, click here.
Media Hits
The Hill (DFP mentioned)
CNBC (DFP mentioned, Julian mentioned)
The Gander (DFP mentioned)
The Hill (DFP mentioned, Ahmad quoted)
Meme