Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States are more likely than the overall adult population to believe in human-caused climate change, according to a new poll. It also suggests that partisanship may not have as much of an impact on this group\u2019s environmental views, compared to Americans overall. A recent poll from AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research finds 84 per cent of AAPI adults agree climate change exists. In comparison, 74 per cent of US adults hold the same sentiment. And three-quarters of AAPI adults who accept climate change is real attribute it entirely or mostly to human activity.<\/p>\n
Among the general US adult population surveyed in an AP-NORC poll in September, only 61 per cent say humans are causing it. The poll is part of an ongoing project exploring the views of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, whose views can usually not be highlighted in other surveys because of small sample sizes and lack of linguistic representation. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that heat-trapping gases released from the combustion of fossil fuels are pushing up global temperatures, upending weather patterns and endangering animal species. Many scientific organisations have made public statements on the issue.<\/p>\n
In terms of partisanship, the percentage of AAPI Democrats, 84 per cent, who acknowledge climate change falls exactly in line with the share of Democrats overall in the September poll. The share of AAPI Republicans who believe there is a climate crisis is lower, but they somewhat outnumber Republicans in general, 68 per cent versus 49 per cent. Adrian Wong, 22, of Whippany, New Jersey, is registered as unaffiliated but leans Republican. A biology major in college, the Chinese American says the science behind climate change is indisputable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve probably done more or looked more into it than the average person has,\u201d Wong said. \u201cIt\u2019s to me clear that it\u2019s changing due to human activity, not natural shifts.\u201d There has been growing conflict within the Republican Party between those who insist climate change is a progressive-generated hoax and those \u2013 mostly younger generations \u2013 who say the issue cannot be ignored. GOP lawmakers, in general, refuse to consider measures like mandated lowering of carbon emissions. However, some consider that an untenable position long-term. American Conservation Coalition, the largest conservative environmental group in the nation, has said Republicans running for office cannot risk alienating people who care about climate change.<\/p>\n
Wong is not surprised that AAPI conservatives like himself recognise that the climate is changing. He thinks they are more highly educated and more likely to be exposed to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t surprise me if they were more likely to have studied more and actually more likely to have studied in science and STEM-related fields rather than, say like, finance or something,\u201d Wong said.<\/p>\n
While climate change is an afterthought to her parents, Analisa Harangozo, 35, of Alameda, California, worries a great deal about it. She has noticed a rise in \u201ccrazy heatwaves and droughts and just like crazy weather in general\u201d in the San Francisco Bay Area. She and her husband are teaching their sons \u2013 ages 7 and 4 \u2013 to take small steps to reduce their carbon footprint like composting, growing food and eating less meat. They\u2019re also trying to minimise their accumulation of household items.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always second-guess myself, Do I really need this?'\u201d Harangozo said. \u201cStuff will eventually end up in the landfill. So, we\u2019re really mindful with the products we buy, and whether or not they can be recycled or they\u2019re made from materials that are natural, like wood or what-not.\u201d A registered independent with Democratic leanings, Harangozo is open to proposals from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state lawmakers to slash greenhouse gas emissions and invest in renewable energy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not knowledgeable enough to know what an attainable goal is,\u201d she said. \u201cBut, whatever it takes to actually make a difference, I\u2019m all for it. I fully support.\u201d Karthick Ramakrishnan, a public policy professor at the University of California, Riverside, and founder of AAPI Data, said the richness and detail of the data shows environmental groups need to consider reaching out to AAPI populations. They make up a relatively small share of the US population \u2013 around 7 per cent, according to a Pew Research Centre analysis of 2021 census data \u2013 but their numbers are growing quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsian American and Pacific Islander voters are environmental voters,\u201d Ramakrishnan said. \u201cMany of us still have an image in our minds of a particular kind of person maybe of a particular race, gender or age group. What we see here is across the board Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders care about the environment.\u201d Asian American and Pacific Islanders may also have more of a stake in climate change because of connections to relatives abroad. China, considered one of the world\u2019s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases alongside the US, vowed last year to reduce emissions.<\/p>\n
More Chinese companies are considering selling wind and solar power equipment in other countries. Around this time last year, Japan was preparing for another sweltering summer and risks of floods and landslides. That country has also pledged to curb emissions. Heavy rains swept across Pakistan last month, causing landslides and leaving over 36 people dead and dozens of others injured. In 2022, unprecedented rainfall and flooding in that country killed more than 1,700. In India, farmers are grappling with frequent cyclones and extreme heat.<\/p>\n
In southern India, the city of Bengaluru is seeing water levels running desperately low after an unusually hot February and March. \u201cThere\u2019s a fairly high level concern of what climate change means to low-income countries,\u201d Ramakrishnan said. \u201cThat sensitivity is either because people still have friends or family back in their home country or at least have some concern about what climate change does to other countries.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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