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In the latest Gallup poll, 60% of Americans favor reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, including 37% of Republicans and 60% of Independents. Interestingly for the prospects of passing Green New Deal legislation, 60% of Americans also believe it is “very likely” (22%) or “likely” (38%) that the country will dramatically reduce fossil fuel usage in the next 10 to 20 years, and roughly the same percentage favor policy proposals that aim to do it. The survey was conducted earlier this month. In what should be a strong rebuke to President Trump’s current fossil fuel favoring policies, only 28% of Americans want the government to put more emphasis on oil and gas and only 22% want more emphasis on coal, while a vast majority of Americans want to see more emphasis placed on the production of green energy sources — specifically solar power (80%) and wind (70%).
Bottom line from the poll: Americans are very interested in seeing more renewable energy development, particularly solar and wind.
Why This Matters: With a Green New Deal Resolution up or down vote expected later this week in the Senate, the public’s attitudes about renewable energy versus coal and oil are evolving — with more support for “green” energy policy solutions than many in Congress may realize. Gallup summed up the poll’s takeaways this way: “Senators are unlikely to pass the Green New Deal in an upcoming vote on the legislation. But given that most Americans are open to legislation that has a goal of reducing global warming, the bill’s sponsors have reason to continue to search for a solution that’s more politically viable.” Still, we have a long way to go to convince the public that a Green New Deal would lead to more economic growth rather than less.
by Ashira Morris, ODP Staff Writer World leaders from the Group of 7 countries wrapped up their first post-pandemic in-person summit on Sunday, and the climate crisis was one of the primary agenda items. The heads of state from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Canada, Italy, and Japan (as well as the European Union) Agreed […]
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The nation’s largest reservoir, Lake Mead, created by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, has reached record lows (at only 36% full) in the face of a severe drought sweeping the western U.S. The reservoir supplies drinking water for 25 million people in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, and more.
Why This Matters: Drought is becoming a permanent fixture across the west, and dry conditions are moving further east each year.
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For generations, Native Alaskans have stored their food year-round in icy cellars that have been dug deep underground, but recently many of these cellars are either becoming too warm so that the food spoils or failing completely due to flooding or collapse Civil Eats’ Kayla Frost reported from Alaska. The cellars, known as siġluaqs, are usually about 10 to 20 feet below the surface and consist of a small room that used to be consistently about 10 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.
Why This Matters: The loss of these natural freezers could be devastating to Native Alaskans.
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