Polls have shown for several years that large blocs of Americans are concerned about the effects of climate change and want governments to take action by adopting green energy and taxing carbon polluters.
Many recent polls also show that, despite continued stalemate on the issue in Washington, support for climate action is rising. These polls invariably reveal that Democrats are more concerned than Republicans, who often don’t “believe” climate change exists.
A poll released this week, which looked more closely at the demographics, discovered that Latinos place climate action very high on their agenda, second only to immigration reform.
A full 90 percent of Latinos polled said that the government should take action against global warming and climate change, according to the poll of 805 registered voters conducted in November and December 2013 for the Natural Resources Defense Council by Latino Decisions.
The poll’s findings:
- Nationally, nine in 10 Latinos want the government to take action against the dangers of global warming and climate change. Of those, 68 percent of Republican Latinos say that it is important—including 46 percent of Republicans who say it’s very or extremely important—for our government to tackle global warming and climate change.
- Among the actions they support to curb climate change are better gas mileage for cars (92 percent), building energy efficient homes (94 percent) and increased green energy (92 percent).
- Eight in 10 Latinos want President Obama to curb the carbon pollution that causes climate change. Of those, 54 percent of Republicans, 88 percent of Democrats and 86 percent of Independents support presidential action.
- Nationally, 86 percent of Latinos support setting limits on carbon pollution power plants discharge into the air to fight climate change. Of those, 71 percent of Democrats, 44 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of Independents strongly support setting limits on carbon pollution from power plants.
- By gender, 88 percent of male respondents say that it is important for our government to tackle global warming and climate change and 92 percent of female respondents agree with this view.
- Broken out by income, 91 percent of those making less than $20,000 a year say that it is important for our government to tackle global warming and climate change, and 86 percent of those with incomes over $80,000 hold this view.
The underlying message: Politicians who advocate for climate action will be more warmly received by this Latinos, whose numbers are rising in the polity.
“. . . Latinos intensely support taking action on climate change and fighting air pollution,” said Adrianna Quintero, senior attorney for NRDC and Founder of Voces Verdes in a statement. “Latinos in the United States recognize the threat that climate change poses to the well being of our families and the future of our community in this country and abroad, and want our leaders to solve it.
“That’s why, today, Latinos are speaking up loud and clear: it’s time to cut the carbon pollution that is driving climate chaos and threatening our children’s future.”
