Gallup Poll: Dems Worry More Than GOP About Environment

Democrats rate President Joe Biden highly on his handling of the environment, and this is reflected in a new Gallup poll, which shows Americans are slightly less concerned about environmental issues now.

Gallup asked Americans how much they worry about issues like pollution of drinking water, extinction of plant and animal species, the loss of tropical rain forests, climate change, and air pollution.

In the Gallup survey, a majority of Americans, 55%, expressed “a great deal” of worry about the pollution of drinking water in the U.S., which remains their top environmental concern of six problems tested. Half of U.S. adults express the same degree of worry about the pollution of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

The percentages of Americans expressing a great deal of worry about air pollution and the loss of tropical rain forests have each fallen seven points since 2022, while worry about extinction of plant and animal species has declined five points, and the pollution of natural waterways and global warming or climate change are down four points each. Meanwhile, last year’s 57% high-level worry about polluted drinking water is statistically similar to this year’s 55%, Gallup observed.

Each of the current readings is at or tied for its lowest point since 2015 or 2016, Gallup noted.

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents level of worry about the environment has eased after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last August, which included the largest federal investments in actions to address climate change.

Whereas majorities of Democrats expressed a great deal of worry about each problem in 2022, they express less concern on each this year, with readings below 50% for three — air pollution, the loss of tropical rain forests, and the extinction of plant and animal species. Biden’s approval rating for his handling of the environment is 80% among Democrats.

Despite being satisfied with Biden, Democrats still worry a lot more about the environment than Republicans. On global warming/climate change, Democrats worry 48% more than Republicans, on air pollution (26% more), and on drinking-water pollution, by 23% more.