Nearly half of young Americans say climate change is a "crisis" requiring "urgent action"
Nearly 50 percent of young Americans believe climate change is creating a "crisis" that warrants "urgent action."
A national poll by the Harvard Institute of Politics of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 found that 45 percent of young Americans — including 50 percent of those likely to vote — agreed climate change is "a crisis and demands urgent action." Meanwhile, nearly 30 percent of those surveyed said economic inequality is a national crisis that also requires "urgent action."
More than 45 percent of young adults — a 14 percentage point increase since 2015 — believe the federal government should do more to mitigate the effects of climate change, even if the efforts hamper economic growth. According to the poll, only 16 percent disagreed.
The same poll found that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders leads other White House hopefuls in support among young adults, with 29 percent of those polled backing the self-described democratic socialist. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who is set to announce his third presidential campaign later this week, is Sanders' closest rival, garnering 18 percent support.
Trailing the two veteran politicians are former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke; and Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
The poll was conducted in from March 8-20. It surveyed 3,022 young adults in both English and Spanish. Its margin of error is 2.64 percent.