Need some good news?

I know I do. Which is why I was thrilled to read this article by Nathaniel Stinnett: “The Climate Voters Are Coming“.

In 2016, only 2% of US voters said climate change was the issue they cared about most.

In 2018, that number more than tripled to 7% of voters.

And now, despite all the chaos of 2020 and large negligence of the media, the number of climate voters continues to surge.

Today, 12% of likely voters now say climate change is their number one priority.

Talk about momentum.

(If you look only at Democrats, climate change is the #1 issue in this NPR/PBS poll with 22% saying it’s the most important.)

A separate poll found that 77% of Independents say addressing climate change must be a priority.

So, with an expected 18 million climate-first voters, the climate movement finally has some real power in the US.

“Climate voters are emerging as one of America’s largest voting blocks, and politicians are paying attention. The climate movement’s political power is growing, and politicians are increasingly viewing environmental leadership as a political necessity, rather than a policy choice. And this is exactly the type of power dynamic the climate movement needs.

Best of all, this dynamic could be particularly impactful in swing states. Recent polling shows that 89% of Floridians are concerned about climate change, including 86% of Republicans. Seventy-six percent of Pennsylvanians consider climate change to be a “serious problem,” with nearly half calling it “very serious.” And, perhaps most interestingly, recent polling in Arizona, North Carolina, Maine and Iowa by Data for Progress reveals that bold climate leadership could be the best way to appeal to swing voters in U.S. Senate races.”

“In short, the era of the climate voter has arrived.” – Nathaniel Stinnett, Environmental Voter Project