Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Climate Change

Climate Change and Health Care: A Tale of Two Polls

5:20 PM EDT on August 19, 2009

As health care reform remains the No. 1 item on Washington's agenda, the brewing Senate battle over climate change legislation -- which has the potential to dramatically reshape transportation policy -- is remaining in the background.

19climate_600.jpgThe audience at a Houston rally against Congress' climate bill, staged by the oil industry. (Photo: NYT)

Looking at two national polls released in recent days, however, suggests that the White House may be winning the fight that it's expending less political capital on waging.

The latest pulse-taking on health care, released yesterday by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, found 36 percent opposed to the Obama administration's health care plans and 42 percent opposed.

Allies of the White House have questioned some of the wording used in the survey, which also revealed that major misconceptions about the health bill are winning credence.

But the wording was anything but misleading in a Zogby poll released last week and commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation. The survey found 71 percent of likely voters in favor of the climate bill passed by the House in June, and 54 percent proactively identifying themselves with the following statement (h/t Sightline):

I think the Senate should take action because I believe we need a new energy plan right now that invests in American, renewable energy sources like wind and solar, in order to create clean energy jobs, address global warming and reduce our dependency on foreign oil.

Imagine if the administration had decided to elevate climate change to the prime position in the national dialogue now held by health care. Would the prospects for substantive action in Congress be any brighter?

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

‘Duped’: Blowing the Whistle on an Illegal Temporary License Plate Business

Temporary license plates exist so that people who buy cars can drive them before receiving metal plates. But drivers found another use for them during the pandemic: buy a temp tag on the black market and you can keep your car anonymous and off the books.

June 9, 2023

Another Cyclist Attacked in Oakland

A passing car’s passenger assaulted cyclist David Colburn on Wednesday while he was riding his bike on San Pablo in Oakland. The passenger “…leaned out a window to intentionally smack me in the head.”

June 8, 2023

How Auto-Centric Infrastructure Is Making Us Sick

Instead of endless promises to fix America's "crumbling roads and bridges," filmmaker Andy Boenau argues we need to talk about our crumbling minds and bodies — and how our autocentric infrastructure approach contributes to them.

June 8, 2023
See all posts