In a new climate poll, three-quarters of young, independent voters describe climate deniers as "ignorant, out of touch or crazy." Congress is quickly losing favor among young voters, both Republican and Democrat, according to the poll which was conducted by Democratic and Republican firms for the League of Conservation Voters.
Overall, the poll found broad, bipartisan support for climate change policy and little patience for deniers:In an article in the National Journal, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says, “I think the Republican Party needs to embrace an environmental agenda,” and “When you ask a Republican candidate for president, what’s your environmental platform, what do they say? We need to be able to speak to this just as quickly as to do to reforming the tax code. Younger people, people under 30, this is a huge issue for them.”. Among those unfavorable to the president, 56 percent still supported him taking action on climate change.
. 79 percent said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who supported taking action on climate change; similarily, 73 percent they were less likely to vote for someone who opposed climate action plans like the president’s.
. It wasn’t just Democratic respondents who thought climate change deniers were out of touch: 74 percent of Independents and 53 percent of Republicans used the words “ignorant, out of touch, or crazy” to describe deniers.
. Only 26 percent bought the argument that action on climate change would kill jobs —65 percent said they thought taking action on climate change would create jobs.Unfortunately, climate science deniers in Congress haven’t yet caught on to their constituents’ views.
The Republican Party is divided with the majority of Republican congresspersons denouncing climate change. Unless they are able to confront their base on climate they risk losing the youth vote for a generation.