Overlooked in Climate Politics: August 2023
Welcome to Overlooked in Climate Politics, the Environmental Voter Project’s monthly newsletter that gives you a quick rundown of 3 under-reported stories in climate politics. Please forward it to your friends (they can subscribe here)! In this edition, we spotlight a neverending election for Georgia’s Public Service Commission, recent polling on the interplay between eco-anxiety and climate action, and a rightwing plan for the next President to dismantle US climate policy.
Georgia: The Neverending Election for Public Service Commission.
Some candidates have been running for Georgia’s Public Service Commission (PSC) — the body that regulates utilities in the state — for more than two years…and they still don’t know when Election Day will be. The original 2022 election for two PSC seats was delayed pending a Voting Rights Act lawsuit claiming that at-large PSC voting procedures impermissibly dilute Black voting power, but the recent US Supreme Court decision in Allen v. Milligan may speed up this Georgia decision. This crucially important climate policy election may finally be scheduled sometime soon — stay tuned.
New Polling Data: Can Climate Distress Prompt Climate Action?
The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) continues to conduct great public opinion research, particularly through their ongoing Climate Change in the American Mind series. Recently YPCCC analyzed data from this series of polls and found that people who are distressed about climate change are more likely to discuss it and join political and advocacy campaigns. Although this finding might seem intuitive, the in-depth analysis provides good insights into how we can care for each other (and ourselves) while also turning anxiety into activism.
A Detailed Plan to Dismantle US Climate Policy.
An “alliance of rightwing groups” has drafted a 1,000 page transition guide — called Project 2025 — which details plans for the next President to expand gas infrastructure, obstruct renewable energy development, and significantly reduce the size and scope of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Guardian’s Dharna Noor has done some great in-depth reporting on this potential future for US climate policy.
How You Can Take Action
Join the Environmental Voter Project on Zoom to mobilize low propensity environmental voters to vote in the upcoming Charlotte, NC mayoral and city council primary elections! We currently have phonebanks scheduled to mobilize Charlotte environmentalists on August 24th at 7pm ET / 4pm PT, August 28th at 6pm ET / 3pm PT, and August 29th at 12pm ET / 9am PT. Training provided — please join us!
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