Nine in ten Latinos want the nation to take action to protect future generations from the dangers of climate change, according to a poll NRDC released on Thursday. Specifically eight in ten want President Obama to reduce the carbon pollution that is driving climate change.
Like millions of other Americans, many Latinos agree the time has come for climate action.
This is a critical message for our leaders to hear right now. In June, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants—the largest source of climate change pollution in our country. But fossil fuel companies and their allies in Congress are trying to block those carbon limits or make them as weak as possible.
These latest survey results confirm once again that people want the Obama Administration to protect families, not give polluters a free pass.
The poll, conducted for NRDC by Latino Decisions, found that many Latinos view tackling climate change as part of building a brighter, more hopeful future for their children. It’s part of the pursuit of the American dream. And it connects community values to global goals.
It also helps shield family and friends on the frontlines of extreme weather. From deadly rains in Colorado to a severe heat wave and polluted air in New England to record-breaking drought in California, supercharged weather events are hitting home. These events will grow more intense if we fail to reduce dangerous carbon pollution. The vast majority of Latinos want to leave their children with a better, more promising future, and they support the safeguards that will help deliver it.
NRDC has been working with partners in the Latino community to put those safeguards in place. For more than a decade, we have called attention to the elevated risks Latinos face from air pollution, contaminated water, and other health hazards. We have shared our research through our Spanish-language website and publications. And we have worked with influential Latino business executives, religious leaders, celebrities, and community organizers to push for climate action.
It will take a lot of work to create strong limits on carbon pollution. Dirty industries will fight us at every turn. But we will succeed if people demand it—if people speak up for a better future for our children. This new survey confirms that many Latinos are part of that groundswell, and NRDC will continue working with Latino groups to make our voices heard.