As Earth Day turns 56 this April, a Change Research national survey of 1,541 registered voters conducted March 8-12, 2026, finds that most Americans have a personal connection to the environment. Two-thirds say they experienced at least one extreme weather event in the past year, and nearly half say federal action on climate change matters to them.
The survey arrives as Earth Day 2026 marks another year of shifting federal climate priorities. The Trump administration has halted carbon dioxide monitoring at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii and withdrawn from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the leading international scientific body for climate assessment.
Americans Are Experiencing Climate Events Firsthand
Extreme heat or heat waves top the list of extreme weather events survey respondents experienced in the past year at 35%, followed by poor air quality at 30%, power outages caused by extreme weather at 25%, severe storms at 24%, and wildfires or smoke at 22%. Roughly one in five dealt with drought or water restrictions, and 12% experienced flooding or water damage.
Younger voters report the effects more often. Those ages 18 to 34 report experiencing extreme heat at 50%, compared to 26% among voters 65 and older.
Environmental Concerns Are Broad
When the survey asked voters to identify their single biggest environmental concern, no single issue dominated. Worsening extreme weather events leads at 23%, followed closely by loss of natural habitats and wildlife at 21%. Pollution from plastics and waste comes in at 15%, drinking water quality at 13%, and air pollution and its health effects at 11%.
Not everyone registers environmental concern. About 11% of voters say none of the listed issues concerns them. That share rises to 20% among Republicans, compared to 2% of Democrats.
A Divided Picture on Federal Action
Where Americans diverge is on what the federal government should do about it. Roughly half of voters surveyed (47%) say it is extremely or very important that the federal government take action on climate change, while 38% say it is not very or not at all important.
Partisan gaps are wide. Among Democrats, 86% rate federal climate action as extremely or very important. Among Republicans, 10% say the same. Voters ages 18 to 34 are the most likely age group to prioritize federal action, at 56% extremely or very important.
Methodology
Change Research surveyed 1,541 registered voters online from March 8 to 12, 2026. The margin of error is +/- 2.6 percentage points. Full crosstabs, including breakouts by party, gender, age, race, and military family status, are available through the Change Research Data Portal.
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