A Yale poll finds about 65% of registered US voters link global warming to rising living costs, and large majorities oppose restrictions on climate research and efforts to block wind projects. Experts say extreme weather is disrupting food supplies and contributing to price spikes in items such as coffee and chocolate, while electricity and insurance costs are climbing. The survey shows broad public concern across many demographics, though support for climate action remains low among conservative Republicans.
Yale Poll: 65% Of US Voters Say Climate Change Is Raising Household Bills — Majorities Oppose Cuts To Climate Research And Wind Projects
‘Extreme weather events are taking a toll on food production, with recent spikes in the cost of coffee and chocolate blamed on global heating.’Photograph: Hispanolistic/Getty Images
A new Yale University poll finds roughly two-thirds of registered US voters believe global warming is contributing to higher living costs, and broad majorities oppose recent White House moves to curtail climate research and block certain wind projects.
Poll Results And Public Concerns
About 65% of registered voters say global heating is affecting the cost of living, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication reports. Nearly eight in 10 voters oppose restrictions on climate information and research, and about the same share reject proposals to eliminate FEMA. A similar 65% disagree with attempts to block new offshore wind projects.
How Climate Impacts Households
Experts point to extreme weather — floods, droughts, storms and heatwaves made worse by climate change — as a growing factor in disruptions to food production. Price spikes in staples such as coffee and chocolate have been linked, at least in part, to climate-driven crop losses. At the household level, many Americans have also seen rising electricity bills and sharply higher home insurance premiums, which analysts say are connected to climate impacts and to policy choices about energy supply.
Local Backlash Over Data Centers
There has also been broad local resistance to new data centers. While proponents — including parts of the administration and the tech industry — emphasize their role in advancing artificial intelligence and the digital economy, critics argue these facilities increase power demand, contribute to emissions, and can raise local energy costs.
Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication: "I find it stunning that even some people in the climate community say that we should stop talking about the climate because there's a cost-of-living crisis going on. It's a fundamental error to treat these issues as mutually exclusive — climate solutions are also cost-of-living solutions."
Administration Actions And Reactions
Since taking office, the Trump administration has moved to roll back several environmental protections, removed or limited public-facing climate information, and signaled strong support for fossil fuels over cleaner energy options. President Trump has publicly called renewables a "con job" and a "scam," and the administration has taken steps to limit certain solar and wind projects.
The White House defended those actions in response to questions about public opinion, saying the administration has "restored common sense to America's energy and sustainability policies" and is promoting US energy exports and grid stability.
Political Divide
The United States remains polarized on climate policy. While 59% of voters say they would prefer a candidate who supports action on climate, that figure is strongly driven by Democrats. Only 21% of conservative Republicans say they want to back a climate-focused candidate, and 37% of that group prefer the opposite. Leiserowitz says overall public concern has grown over time, but support among Republicans has remained relatively flat.
Policymakers and campaigners considering how to engage voters may find that framing climate policy as directly linked to household costs — from food prices to electricity and insurance — resonates across a wide portion of the electorate.
