A recent poll by Reuters/Ipsos revealed that Latino voters vastly preferred Harris on issues such as healthcare, where she held an 18-point lead, and dealing with climate change, where the margin grew to a whopping 23 percentage points.
Now, a new survey conducted by Data for Progress and Climate Power En Acción reveals just how much climate might weigh on Latino voters come November. The study shows that Latinos are increasingly concerned about the economic impacts of climate change and extreme weather and that 65% believe the U.S. needs a president committed to addressing these issues.
When looking into the numbers with a more granular eye, the sentiment is shared by 53% of Latino voters in key battleground states, 56% of Latino Independents, and two-thirds of Latino voters under 45.
The findings also show that 7 out of 10 Latino voters (71%) support the idea that industries most responsible for climate change, particularly the fossil fuel industry, should be held accountable for the damages caused by extreme weather. This view is consistent across major swing states and among younger voters.
The survey also highlighted that over three-quarters of Latino voters (78%) are concerned about the potential impact of extreme weather on themselves or their families, a concern that is prevalent across party lines, with 86% of Democrats, 71% of Independents, and 70% of Republicans expressing worry.
Many respondents reported that extreme weather events have already affected their lives, particularly through increased energy bills and costs related to home heating and cooling.
As for the future, Latino voters anticipate that the financial impact of extreme weather will continue to rise over the next five years, regardless of what happens this election cycle. Strong majorities expect increased costs for home heating and cooling (89%), energy (88%), and groceries (86%). Two-thirds of respondents believe extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, with 72% attributing this trend to climate change.
The poll also echoed the Reuters/Ipsos poll by indicating that Latino voters trust Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump to address the climate crisis. Harris leads Trump by a significant margin on issues such as investing in clean energy, protecting communities from extreme weather, and lowering energy costs.
In a recent highly publicized interview with Elon Musk, Trump dismissed the issue of climate change, claiming that "the ocean is going to rise one eighth of an inch over the next 400 years", a number that is nowhere near the global average sea levels of the last decade which are nearly 4.8mm per year (0.19in), according to the World Meteorological Organization.
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