| Even Republicans at odds with Trump’s climate posture, poll finds |
| Emily Holden, The Guardian |
| New polling suggests that Americans, including Republicans, are becoming more convinced on human-caused climate change, reports the Guardian. Some 64% of Republicans now think climate change is happening, the poll shows, compared to 49% three years ago. And more of the general population acknowledge climate change – 78% compared to 70% three years ago. Residents of coastal areas were 17% more likely to say that climate change was a “very serious” problem, compared to their inland neighbours, notes the Hill.
Meanwhile, there is continued coverage of the fourth US National Climate Assessment, which was published last Friday. The Hill also looks at how “a rash of officials from President Trump on down are parroting similar lines” to dispute the report’s findings. The Guardian has the fourth in its week-long series looking into the report, with the latest article focusing on “why rising seas will force coastal residents to move – or spend”. And in a comment piece for the Guardian, Brenda Ekwurzel and Ken Kimmell from the Union of Concerned Scientists look at what “Trump [is] hiding in the climate report”. And finally, the Washington Post and the Hill report that former US vice-president Al Gore has labelled president Donald Trump “the face of climate denial”. |
Poll: Nearly two-thirds of Republicans now acknowledge climate change
The Hill | John Bowden
Nearly two-thirds of Republicans and a majority of all Americans now acknowledge climate change, according to a Monmouth University Poll released Thursday. The poll found that 64 percent of Republican respondents said they believe that Earth’s climate is changing, up from 49 percent in 2015. According to the poll, 92 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of independents also said they acknowledge climate change. […] Just over half of Americans surveyed – 54 percent – said climate change is “very serious,” while 17 percent say the problem is “somewhat” serious,” according to the poll. […] Geography, according to the poll, also plays a role in Americans’ views of the seriousness of climate change. Residents of coastal areas were 17 percent more likely to say that climate change was a “very serious” problem, compared to their inland neighbors.
Unable to Bury Climate Report, Trump and Deniers Launch Assault on the Science
President Trump and his allies in the climate denial community are trying to discredit the National Climate Assessment, but a fact-check shows the problems with their attacks. The evidence and warnings in the report are a high-stakes challenge for Trump’s fossil fuel-friendly agenda, in politics and in the courts.
(InsideClimate News)
Farmers, Don’t Count on Technology to Protect Agriculture from Climate Change
Advances in science and technology will only go so far in helping agriculture deal with increasingly erratic weather, the new U.S. climate report says. It says the effects of climate change on American farms and ranches will likely outpace technological fixes within decades, even with the present pace of agricultural innovation.
(InsideClimate News)
Almost Half Coal Power Plants Unprofitable to Operate
The surge in coal prices in the past three years and muted power prices are cutting into the profitability of power stations that burn the fuel, according to Carbon Tracker. About 42 percent of the world’s coal generation capacity is losing money, it says.
(Bloomberg)
Coal Plant Capacity Decreasing Under Trump
The nation’s coal power capacity has decreased during President Trump’s time in office, and his second year brought an even bigger decrease than the first. Higher costs, aging plants, future regulatory uncertainty and public sentiment around the fuel were all cited by utilities as reasons for closures.
(S&P Global)
New Hampshire Utility’s Home Battery Plan Moves Forward
New Hampshire is one step closer to a home energy-storage pilot project that would offer subsidized home batteries in exchange for letting Liberty Utilities use those batteries to counter peaks in electricity demand. The results could help gauge the effectiveness of home energy storage in reducing power grid costs.
(Greentech Media)
