WASHINGTON, D.C. – Respondents to a recently released poll conducted by environmental group the Sierra Club overwhelmingly reject how the Trump administration is – or isn’t – dealing with climate change and environmental protection.
The poll conducted by Global Strategy Group surveyed residents of seven states, North Carolina, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, Nevada and Arizona, who rated as poor the administration’s handling of environmental and climate change issues. The majority, including 60 percent of North Carolina respondents, disapprove of the administration’s handling of climate change issues and most, including 85 percent of North Carolina respondents, want the U.S. government to take action on climate change.
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North Carolina residents who responded rejected the Trump administration’s approach to energy and the environment with two in three, or 62 percent, opposed. While a majority of Republicans do approve of the administration’s approach, almost every other demographic group strongly disapproves, including Democrats (87 percent disapprove) and independents (70 percent disapprove). By a large margin, North Carolinians support policies to require oil and gas companies to reduce methane emissions, limit the amount of emissions from power plants, require higher fuel efficiency, and limit oil and gas production
on public lands.
The results also show that renewable energy is as popular as ever with respondents in every state surveyed expressing a preference for policies that encourage the U.S. to move away from fossil fuels and toward more clean energy like wind and solar. This includes 79 percent of North Carolinians who support moving states to 100 percent clean energy by 2045. At least seven-in-10 respondents in every state support 100 percent clean energy goals.
“The salience of climate change and the desire for government action to fight it is higher than I’ve ever seen,” said Global Strategy Group Senior Vice President Andrew Baumann.
In response, Sierra Club Polling and Research Director Grace McRae released a statement saying that, “While the Trump Administration is rolling back our clean air, water, and climate safeguards in favor of dirty fossil fuels like coal, polling demonstrates that Americans prefer that the country not only act on climate but transition to 100% clean energy. This poll should serve as a wake up call for the Trump Administration — Americans want climate action and they want it now.”
