Despite Broad Support For Climate Efforts, Americans Far Apart Over Direction - Poll

Despite Broad Support for Climate Efforts, Americans Far Apart Over Direction - Poll

Even though a significant majority of Americans express widespread support for some policy prescriptions advanced by the Biden administration to address climate change, there is an almost equal split about whether its overall approach to climate policies is taking the nation in the right or wrong direction, a Pew Research Center survey said Thursday

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) Even though a significant majority of Americans express widespread support for some policy prescriptions advanced by the Biden administration to address climate change, there is an almost equal split about whether its overall approach to climate policies is taking the nation in the right or wrong direction, a Pew Research Center survey said Thursday.

"More than a year into Joe Biden's presidency, the public is divided over the administration's approach to climate change: 49% of U.S. adults say the Biden administration's policies on climate change are taking the country in the right direction, while 47% say these climate policies are taking the country in the wrong direction," Pew said.

Besides being evenly split about the administration's handling and approach to climate change, support or opposition falls along deeply partisan lines.

"A majority of Republicans and independents who lean to the GOP (82%) say Biden's climate policies are taking the country in the wrong direction. Among Democrats and Democratic leaners, most say Biden is moving the country in the right direction on climate policy (79%)," the survey said.

Meanwhile, there continues to be broad public support for a range of measures designed to reduce the effects of climate change with a majority of Americans holding the belief that the Federal government is doing too little to address several key areas of environmental protection, such as air and water quality, and to reduce the effects of climate change. Sixty-three percent of Americans believe the federal government is doing too little to protect water quality of rivers, lakes and streams, with 31% saying the federal government is doing about the right amount to address key facets of environmental protection such as air and water quality and 5% thinking the federal government is doing too much.

Even while acknowledging the increased frequency and wider devastation of hurricanes, wildfires, drought and other natural disasters nationally, a little more than half of Americans think stricter environmental laws are worth the cost - but a growing share sees a troubling economic downside. Forty-five percent of those polled believe that stricter environmental laws and regulations will cause too high a toll in lost jobs and damage to the economy.