Voters Want to Cancel Fossil Fuels
By Jamie Henn
Even with large parts of the Western United States on fire and Hurricane Laura battering the Gulf Coast, none of the speeches at the Republican National Convention mentioned the threat that climate change poses to the United States. Instead, speaker after speaker warned of the threat that the “Democrat Party” poses to the fossil fuel industry.
Joe Biden wants to “abolish fracking.” Democrats are going to “kill millions of energy jobs.” The radical left wants you to “live in the dark.” Trump and the GOP clearly think that by fully embracing fossil fuels they can win back voters from Biden and the Democrats.
Well, we have bad news for President Trump. According to new polling released today by Data for Progress and Fossil Free Media, voters across America have a negative view of the fossil fuel industry and overwhelmingly support the transition to clean energy.
Our polling suggests that not only will Trump’s attacks on Biden over fossil fuels backfire, but also that Biden and other politicians would be wise to go on offense against the GOP for their embrace of an industry that is polluting our environment, poisoning Black, Brown and Indigenous communities, holding back clean energy jobs, corrupting our democracy, and threatening the entire planet.
Let’s take a look at some of the results.
One of the most striking findings from the poll is what voters think the impact of transitioning away from fossil fuels will have on jobs. We found that by a 2:1 margin, voters agree that minimizing our reliance on fossil fuels will create millions of new jobs in the clean energy economy, rather than kill jobs or reduce our nation’s energy independence. That’s big news because positioning “jobs vs. the environment” is at the core of the GOP’s strategy to turn people away from bold climate action. Sadly for them, voters aren’t buying it.
Instead, voters across the board widely support a broad array of executive and legislative actions that would move us away from fossil fuels. According to our report, 66 percent of voters support increasing incentives for the clean energy industry, and 60 percent support providing benefits to workers displaced by the transition away from fossil fuels. Additionally, 62 percent of all voters support regulating emissions to reduce pollution, 55 percent support ending government subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, and 56 percent support denying permits for infrastructure projects that would significantly contribute to climate change. The numbers are even higher when you look just at Democrats.
Another striking finding is how voters view the impact of the fossil fuel industry on communities of color. We found that by an 11-point margin, voters agree that fossil fuel companies have a net negative impact on communities of color. This statement enjoys the most support from Democrats (57 percent), Black voters (52 percent), and voters under 45 (48 percent).
Large percentages of voters also support executive actions to address these environmental injustices perpetrated by fossil fuel companies. We found that 57 percent of voters support an executive order to force the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce pollution disparities in local communities, and 60 percent support an executive order to direct federal funding for green jobs and infrastructure in the most vulnerable communities. Furthermore, 58 percent of voters support an executive order to create a commission that develops national policies for a clean energy economy and includes members from frontline communities.
With this widespread support for moving away from fossil fuels, it’s no surprise that voters support an array of measures that would ensure that the next administration acts swiftly and boldly to address the crisis at hand.
For example, by a 22-point margin, voters oppose having fossil fuel industry lobbyists or representatives in the executive branch. That includes a majority of Democrats (61 percent), a plurality of Independents (45 percent), and a plurality of Republicans (39 percent).
Meanwhile, large percentages of voters say that they are more likely to support a candidate who signs a pledge not to take fossil fuel money. Fifty-three percent of Democrats say they’d be more likely to support a candidate who signs a no fossil fuel money pledge, while only 11 percent say they’d be less likely to support that candidate. Notably, Republicans are also more likely to support a candidate that refuses fossil fuel money by a 23-point margin. It turns out that just about nobody likes the idea of their representatives being in bed with fossil fuel industry CEOs.
We know that many Democrats remain concerned that Trump’s attacks over fossil fuels will hurt them at the ballot box. That’s likely why the Democratic National Committee stripped a commitment to end fossil fuel subsidies out of their platform and why Biden has been adamant that he doesn’t support a ban on fracking. They needn't be so worried. Our polling found that 61 percent of Democrats support ending tax breaks for fossil fuel companies while only 19 percent support them. Meanwhile, new polling from GSG and Climate Power 2020 shows that a strong stance on fracking could increase support for Biden in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania.
With all the money that fossil fuel interests spend on lobbying and political contributions each year, it’s no surprise that politicians are more afraid of the industry than voters. Our hope is that this polling helps stiffen their spines for the fights ahead. Either way, we’ll be there, pushing them forward.
Jamie Henn is the director of Fossil Free Media, a nonprofit media lab supporting the movement to end fossil fuels. He co-founded the global grassroots climate movement 350.org.