(Credit: The White House)According to a recent survey by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland, 57% of Americans disapprove of how Biden has worked to address climate change.
Such low approval apparently stems from the lack of awareness of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Biden’s main climate legislation. The IRA directly impacts American citizens by investing in clean energy and providing tax incentives for electric vehicle and solar purchases, among many other major efforts toward combating climate change. According to the poll, four in 10 registered voters admitted they knew “nothing at all” about the IRA, while six in 10 voters admitted they had heard “a little” about the law.
When those surveyed were asked whether they had heard of key climate items such as “tax credits to buy heat pumps” or “expanded tax credits to buy EVs” for instance, few admitted to reading or hearing much about the policies. But, when asked if they supported such climate-supporting practices, the majority admitted that they did.
Findings from this survey reflect a disparity between the American public’s understanding of the IRA compared to what they hope to see out of the government’s climate response. Much of what the polled population claimed to support is already embedded in the IRA.
“The Biden Administration has made some incredible strides in moving the clean energy market and investing in disadvantaged communities,” said Jillian Blanchard, director of the Climate Change Program for Lawyers for Good Government, in a Climate News report. “But it needs to do a better job of communicating these opportunities to the American people and sharing success stories.”
The survey also revealed an overall sense that Americans lack confidence in the government’s ability to respond to the climate crisis. When asked how much they trusted Republicans to respond to climate change, 74% of respondents claimed “not much” or “not at all,” and 59% said the same about Democrats.
Disapproval of Biden’s work on climate may stem from his inability to satisfy the opposing opinions on the government’s role in climate action. He launched the first White House office ever devoted to climate policy and has taken action to boost climate resilience, and many Republicans claim he has overstepped his bounds in addressing global warming. Meanwhile, Biden has experienced criticism from environmental organizations and liberal audiences for continuing to support fossil fuel development on federal lands.
As the president tours the country in anticipation of the 2024 election, he has emphasized what progress has been made and how much has yet to be addressed to keep the U.S. moving forward in facing the climate crisis. His Republican counterparts have expressed plans to roll back the progress made in the climate agenda if they were to take office. Biden's climate advisor, John Podesta, plans to emphasize “investments we need to build a resilient society” as the election approaches.
