New Poll: Most Americans Want Climate Action!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/sakeeb/">Sakeeb Sabakka</a>/Flickr

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

With right-wing commentators like Rush Limbaugh selling climate change as a vast left-wing conspiracy you might imagine that Americans couldn’t be bothered to try and stop our planet from boiling. Thankfully, that’s not true, according to a Yale/George Mason University poll released yesterday.

The poll finds that a majority of Americans—63 percent—think the US should act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions now. That’s even if other countries don’t take any action. Surveying some 1,000 Americans, the poll found that only five percent of respondents believe there’s no need to reduce emissions at all (see chart below). “Clearly, reports of the death of public support for action on global warming are overblown,” wrote Ruy Teixeira at the Center for American Progress, in response to the poll. 

What’s more, the survey found, 65 percent of Americans support cutting greenhouse gas emission levels by 90 percent by 2050. That’s huge. Sixty-three percent of those polled also said they wouldn’t mind a utility bill price hike if it meant companies would be forced to source a portion of their energy from renewables.

It’s too bad the talking heads are so out of touch with the rest of us.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate