June 24, 2024
Dear friends,
We’re getting a little respite from extreme heat today in New York City. As a person who thinks about climate change almost daily, this little break is just a reminder to take the opportunity to think more clearly.
The 2024 survey is bigger [than the 2021 survey] in terms of countries: people in 77 countries, representing 87% of the world’s population, were asked their views on climate change.
The 15 questions in the survey have never been put to people in any survey before. The results give the most comprehensive public account yet of how people feel about and respond to climate change.
There are lots of reasons why political leaders may be out of step with popular opinion. Some of them are sound, since political leaders may be better informed about the issues than the general public. Some are insidious, as those in power are subject to pressure from those who support their campaigns.
The giant poll found that more than half of the respondents around the world are more worried about climate change than they were last year. Roughly 1 in 3 people think about climate daily, while 56 percent think about it at least once a week. Eight in 10 respondents thought their own nation should “strengthen its commitments to address climate change,” have schools do more teaching about climate change, and do “a lot” to “restore nature…by planting trees or protecting wildlife.”
We were directly on par with the global average for how frequently we think about climate change. There are super-majorities of us favoring stronger climate action and efforts to restore nature — 66 and 76 percent respectively.
Urge President Biden to prevent seabed mining and habitat destruction. This quick action is from the Ocean Conservancy.
Tell the US Forest Service to protect the oldest trees. This quick action is from Environment America.
The response to the education question — two-thirds of US respondents favored more teaching about climate change — especially interested me. Only 27 percent of US respondents thought our nation should act very quickly to transition to renewable energy; globally, the percentage was 41, and over 70 percent felt their nations should move somewhat quickly or very quickly. Our insufficient understanding of the role of fossil fuels in changing the climate is at the root of our problem taking action.
Almost 8 in 10 Americans want to see nations work together to address climate change, which is close to the global percentage (86) and somewhat hopeful, given the America First and climate denial nonsense coming out of one of our major political parties. Also interesting is that 64 percent believe that “rich countries should give more help to poorer countries to address climate change.”
Obviously, everything we do to phase out fossil fuels and prevent environmental harm means less loss and damage to repair.
Environmental organizations are again calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to sign New York’s “TREES” Act into law.
The Tropical Rainforest Economic & Environmental Sustainability (TREES) Act requires that companies that do business with the state do not contribute to tropical forest degradation or deforestation directly or through their supply chains.
Forest loss and damage is the cause of around 10 percent of global warming. Around the world, an estimated 18,000,000 acres of forest, an area more than half the size of New York State, are lost every year to deforestation.
After the governor vetoed the bill last year, legislators adjusted the time frame of the bill, allowing until 2027 for companies to show that their products don’t contribute to deforestation.
Tell the Governor to sign the TREES Act and to take other overdue climate action.
Engaging voters to push for climate action requires that we engage voters, especially the young ones. Unfortunately, rates of voter registration among 18-year-olds in New York City are abysmal, according to a new report by The Civics Center.
About 40 percent of 18-year-olds in NYS are registered to vote, but in NYC, it’s fewer than 1 in 4. Having a driver’s license or permit makes it possible to register more easily, but there is a great disparity in the proportion of young drivers in the city versus the rest of the state.
Here’s the online portal for voter registration in NYC, no driver’s ID required.
We have a lot of work ahead to educate, register, and mobilize voters. If you are a teacher in a Consortium school or you know someone who is, encourage them to sign up for my voter readiness workshop on August 28.
If you are interested in inviting me to do a workshop elsewhere, please reply to this post.
If you live in NYS, don’t forget that tomorrow is Election Day.
You can revisit my post from June 13 for links and discussion of what’s on the ballot.
with love,
L