A recent poll has narrowed down what Massachusetts residents care about most. And among the many issues that the Commonwealth is grappling with, climate change is falling under the weight of rising concerns over health care and education.
The poll, conducted by the Barr Foundation and MassINC Polling Group, surveyed nearly 2,000 people and included questions about:
Climate change
High fuel costs
Education
Taxes
Health care
Economy
Less than half of those surveyed cited climate change as one of their top concerns in the state. That statistic is particularly troublesome when comparing the figure to what it was only years before in 2019. Specifically, MassINC found that 47% of respondents agreed that climate change was a high priority, but in 2019, the figure was 54%.
The poll further broke down the results by demographics and political preference to better understand which group most supported climate change compared to other policy concerns. In general, Democrats believed climate change was one of the more serious threats, with 64% agreeing and 30% saying it was somewhat serious. On the other side, 22% of Republicans said yes, climate change is a high-priority problem, while 26% said it was only somewhat serious.
However, health care topped the lost as the priority for residents in Massachusetts, with nearly one-third of respondents saying it is the most important issue facing the state. This is not surprising given the high cost of health care and the recent debate over access to insurance. Education is the second-most important issue, with 16 percent of respondents saying it is the top priority. The economy, taxes, and transportation are also high on the list of priorities for residents.
Shifting opinions on climate change are not hard to believe. Just this year, the US economy has dramatically adjusted and re-adjusted as the nation tries to build toward a post-pandemic recovery. Economic momentum has been halted for many reasons, not least of which are the war in Ukraine; bringing other concerns like gas prices and the economy to the forefront for residents.
Direct relief for these immediate concerns most likely dominate the Commonwealth’s recent perceptions. Gas prices skyrocketed almost overnight and past efforts at economic relief have brought stimulus programs that have eased some pain through the COVID years. Alternatively, approaches to combatting climate change take years to progress and that can be frustrating to those who care about resolving the issue.
Once the current political and economic environment have a chance to readjust, it’s reasonable to assume that climate change will reemerge as a pressing issue for residents. Massachusetts and New England are warming at an alarming rate, and the possibility that the effects will be deepened in the coming years in the state is likely. There is no doubt that climate change will soon impact our communities and the urgency to solve this global crisis will soon reappear at top of the priority list.