As environmental organizations denounce climate change’s near total absence from thesecond presidential debate, a new analysis highlights the starkly differing attitudes backers of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump hold on the issue.
Released by the Pew Research Center and based on surveys conducted May 10-June 6 and Aug. 16-Sept. 12, the breakdown of the views covers whether the supporters care about climate change, if they believe it is caused by human activity, whether specific policy actions—such as restrictions on power plant emissions—will help address climate change impacts, and whether they think climate scientists understand causes of climate change.
The contrasts, Pew states, “mirror a deep divide between Democrats and Republicans.”
For example, while 56 percent of Clinton supporters care “a great deal” about climate change, only 15 percent of Trump supporters feel that way. None of the Democratic nominee’s supporters said they care “not at all” about the issue, but 18 percent of the Republican nominee’s supporters feel that way.