Public opinion polling consistently shows that for overwhelming numbers of Latino voters in the US, protecting the environment is not simply a priority; it’s a personal matter, a matter of protecting culture, family, and community, and safeguarding loved ones’ health. And, for majorities of Latino voters, cutting climate pollution is seen as a question of fulfilling a moral duty to take care of the earth, to honor a long heritage, and to protect future generations.
Latino voters consistently outpace the American population as a whole when it comes to concern and desire for climate solutions.
New polling conducted in November and December 2013 for the Natural Resources Defense Council by Latino Decisions not only bears this out but finds even more intense support for policies to counter global warming. The findings send a clear message. As Adrianna Quintero, senior attorney for NRDC and Founder of Voces Verdes, puts it, “Those who ignore these findings do so at their peril. Latinos are speaking up loud and clear…”
The survey also investigates the factors that motivate climate attitudes among Latino voters, giving us strong signals about effective communications strategies.
And some of the key messaging takeaways from this research are powerfully demonstrated by the Latino leaders involved in this project and working on other national-level efforts to engage Hispanic communities in climate solutions, particularly Latina leaders who also happen to be moms…
