The Daily Fix: Vast Majority of Americans Want the Government to Fight Climate Change
The vast majority of Americans want government action on fighting climate change, including nearly half of those who identify as Republicans. And two-thirds of the public would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who supported climate action.
In a poll conducted by The New York Times, Stanford University, and non-profit think tank Resources for the Future, 67 percent of participants including 48 percent of Republicans and 72 percent of independents, said they were less likely to vote for a candidate who claimed that climate change is a hoax, or that it is not caused by human activities.
These numbers put a new spin on how climate issues could influence 2016’s presidential race, because they suggest that positions that have been hallmarks of conservative politics for decades no longer motivate mainstream voters. More liberal positions could help get votes.
Republican lawmakers have been notable in opposing climate and energy policy reforms that would slow U.S. greenhouse gas pollution, or reduce the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels. But they have often been joined by conservative “blue dog” Democrats who, while not rejecting the scientific evidence for climate change and its causes, back policies that perpetuate the nation's reliance on oil, coal, and gas-fired power.
But the poll also found that 49 percent of far-right Republicans would be more inclined to vote for candidate who said "I’m not a scientist," a phrase politicians often use to dodge the climate issue. "It recruits more Tea Partyers than it repels,” Jon A. Krosnick, a professor of political science at Stanford University and survey co-author, told The New York Times.
In other news…
Super Snacks: Super Bowl Sunday is the food industry’s Black Friday. Pizza and chicken wing sales increase dramatically on football's biggest weekend—but people also buy more vegetable trays. (via The Associated Press)
Texas Executes Mentally Impaired: On Thursday, Texas executed a 57-year-old man convicted of a brutal murder in 1996. They carried out the death sentence even though a Texas agency found the man's IQ was 67 and he was mentally impaired. (via The Guardian)
Shiite Mosque Bombed: A deadly bombing at a Shiite mosque in Pakistan has killed 49 people. A Sunni militant group took responsibility for the attack. (via The Associated Press)
A New Era of Medicine: President Obama has asked Congress for $215 million to fund a "precision medicine initiative" that will collect detailed health information on over one million Americans. (via CNBC)
Winter Storm Killed 4: The death toll after this week’s winter storm increased to four on Thursday after two elderly people were found dead in Massachusetts. (via Reuters)
In School, Girls Rule: Pretty much everywhere in the world, even in countries like Qatar and Jordan, where women lack some basic rights, girls outperform boys in school. (via Intelligence)
The Daily Fix is your chance to act today to change tomorrow’s headlines by taking action on the latest stories. Look for links to petitions, pledges, and other social actions embedded throughout these news items.
Original article from TakePart
