The time is ripe for transformative climate action: the latest University of Texas Energy Poll shows that the majority of Americans want action against climate change. Forty-three percent of respondents identified with the statement that “Climate change is an urgent threat and all countries need to take action equally,” while forty-eight percent of respondents agreed that the US needs to do more than other nations when it comes to mitigating our climate issues.
On the heels of the Paris climate talks, Laudato Si and Pope Francis’ emphasis on taking care of our planet, and the growing commitment of corporations and the healthcare sector to take climate action, it is clear that Americans understand the necessity of acting now to address our climate challenge. We can use this moment to our advantage by continuing to amplify the health consequences of climate change, to lead by example in our healthcare practices, and to support policies that protect our wellbeing. For more tools that can help you take steps for sustainability in your community, please visit Climate for Health.
UT Poll: Vast majority of Americans backs action against climate change
Bill Dawson | Texas Climate News | February 19, 2016
Coming just a few weeks after nearly 200 nations agreed in Paris on a sweeping international plan to combat climate change in December, the latest University of Texas Energy Poll has found extremely wide support for such climate action in the U.S. The results were released Thursday.
“We’re seeing strong support for collaborative efforts among nations to combat the effects of climate change,” said Sheril Kirshenbaum, director of the semiannual survey.
A vast majority of respondents, who were surveyed in January, said they supported action against climate change in the latest version of the semiannual UT Energy Poll.
For the first time since the national poll was launched in 2011, participants were provided several statements describing possible U.S. roles in addressing global climate change and asked which one best reflects their own opinion.
The largest number – 43 percent – picked this statement: “Climate change is an urgent threat and all countries need to take action equally.”
However, a greater number – 48 percent combined – selected one of three slightly different statements that each said the U.S. should be doing more than others:
