Climate concerns
Over 100 wildfires are burning all across Canada, incinerating acreage that usually takes months, not weeks, to burn.
The result? Due to the Canadian wildfire smoke billowing over the continent, more than a third of the U.S. population is under air quality alerts, coating the U.S. from the Midwest to the East Coast.
Separately, much of the South is facing extreme heat this week, with temperatures reaching triple digits. Many experts point to climate change as the driving force behind these conditions.
Yet, over the past few decades, climate change was not top of mind for many Americans. Now, as some of our largest cities are covered in a layer of smoke and temperatures soar, are Americans taking notice?
Below are five charts documenting how Americans feel about the Canadian wildfires and broader action around climate change.
- A concerning issue. The smoke from the Canadian wildfires is the news story that Americans both know and care most about, beating out all other major news stories, like the Trump indictment and the inflation rate dropping. Extreme weather is affecting Americans’ daily life. They are paying attention.
- A growing concern. Over the past decade, Americans are increasingly pointing to the environment as a concern. Though, relative to other topics, like the economy, the climate is less of a worry. Even as the Canadian wildfire smoke beats the other issues du jour, overall, the environment does not stack up to bread-and-butter issues.
- A reason for the rising concern. The reason for the gradual uptick in concern about the environment may be related to people’s lived experiences. Compared to a decade ago, majorities of Americans are noticing that unusual weather for the season and extreme heat are becoming more common in their communities.
- Caught in the crossfire. Why are climate change solutions so few and far between? One reason: partisanship. Climate change is caught up in the partisan nature of U.S. politics. Republicans, for example, are more likely to believe climate change is mostly caused by natural patterns or outright deny that it exists. Here it is again: two Americas, one red, one blue.
- Who should do something? When it gets down to the brass tacks of policymaking, there are some points of bipartisan agreement and disagreement, even if the two sides can’t agree on the origins of the issue. Americans want the federal government to be responsible for cleaning up the mess and for corporations to be stuck with the bill. Income taxes aren’t so popular.
Climate change is shifting from an abstract concept to something with a tangible, physical impact on the daily lives of Americans. Though, partisans can’t agree on why these changes are happening.
As these events become more common, will the issue remain a polarizing partisan issue, or will the nation come together for solutions? We will see.
