Newly Released Polling in California Battleground of Orange County Shows Environmental Threats Register as A Top Concern

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Anthony Reyes, anthony@tonycomms.com

OAKLAND, CA – In the lead up to the primary elections on June 7, newly released polling by California Environmental Voters Education Fund (formerly the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund) and Tulchin Research captures voter sentiments on energy issues and the environment in the critical battleground region of Orange County. A key finding from the survey shows that even while increasing gas prices has created a push for expanding oil extraction, a majority of voters (55%) still support continuing California’s transition to renewable energy and expect their elected representatives to vote to move the state and rest of the country in this direction. Following a series of oil spills and wildfires, about 60 percent of Orange County voters want to end drilling and 86 percent want to see a policy that increases resources to mitigate and prevent wildfires. The polling memo can be found here.

“This polling make it abundantly clear that Californians in every region of the state feel the dangers of extreme heat, wildfires, and drought close to their homes and understand that extreme environmental impacts can only be slowed down by moving away from fossil fuels,” California Environmental Voters President Mary Creasman said. “Weak responses and delays only put our health, lives and livelihoods at risk as these threats become more intense, frequent, and destructive.”

“There is no question that the effects of climate change, including extreme heat, wildfires and droughts, are becoming more visible and are an issue California voters expect their leaders to act on,” said Ben Tulchin, a leading national pollster and President of Tulchin Research. “In the public opinion research we recently conducted in key battleground regions in California that could decide the makeup of the State Legislature, Congress, and ultimately how government adopts climate policies, our polling found that regions that historically have not been that supportive of climate action are now concerned about climate change and its impact and support a transition to renewable energy.” 

The most popular environmental policies in this polling were in support of conserving water and strengthening laws that keep drinking water safe and increasing funding for wildfire mitigation and prevention. The top environmental concerns in the surveys were water scarcity and drought, with wildfires also registering high in recently impacted communities.

In the surveys that were conducted this spring, about three-quarters of Orange County voters had favorable views of renewable energy resources and electric vehicles, with 59 percent holding unfavorable views of oil companies. 70 percent of Orange County voters agreed the effects of climate change, including extreme heat, wildfires and droughts, are becoming more visible, are impacting Californians, and need to be addressed. A majority said the state should focus on transitioning away from polluting fossil fuels to cleaner renewable energy that is becoming cheaper in price and more dependable every year.

Wildfires, drought, air pollution, and extreme heat register as top concerns for voters across the region, all voicing how environmental issues are deeply affecting their local communities.

The polling memo can be found here.