Why Isn’t the Climate Movement Voting? | Nathaniel Stinnett | TED

Summary

The speaker, with over 20 years in politics, identifies the lack of political will as a major barrier to addressing climate change, often due to the influence of fossil fuel companies and special interests. Despite the urgency, many environmentalists don't vote, which significantly impacts elections. The speaker suggests a solution: increasing voter turnout among climate-conscious individuals without necessarily changing their opinions on climate change. This is achieved through a three-step process involving identifying non-voting environmentalists, encouraging them to vote using behavioral science, and building long-term voting habits. The goal is to create an unstoppable block of climate voters to influence policy across the political spectrum.

Takeaways

• 🗳️ Lack of political will is a significant barrier to addressing the climate crisis, often due to political spending by fossil fuel companies and special interests.
• 🌳 The climate movement suffers from low voter turnout, with many environmentalists not participating in elections.
• 📊 In key states like Georgia, the undervote among climate voters was significant, impacting election outcomes.
• 🔍 The speaker suggests that increasing voter turnout among climate-conscious individuals could be more effective than trying to change opinions on climate change.
• 📈 The Environmental Voter Project estimates that 8 million climate-concerned Americans did not vote in the 2020 presidential election.
• 🌐 Politicians prioritize engaging with likely voters, and non-voters are often ignored, which is problematic for the climate movement.
• 📊 Exit polling data shows that climate change is not a top priority for the majority of voters.
• 📈 The speaker argues that increasing voter turnout is an opportunity to build political power for the climate movement.
• 📋 The Environmental Voter Project uses a three-step process to identify non-voting environmentalists, encourage voting, and build long-term voting habits.
• 📢 They employ behavioral science techniques, such as leveraging social norms and fear of missing out, to motivate voting.
• 🔄 The project is active in numerous elections each year to help turn voting into a habit and to build a consistent block of climate voters.

Q & A

What is identified as one of the biggest barriers in addressing the climate crisis?

A lack of political will to enact available climate solutions is identified as one of the biggest barriers in addressing the climate crisis.

Why is it easier for politicians to win elections by ignoring the climate crisis?

It is easier for politicians to win elections by ignoring the climate crisis because of political spending by fossil fuel companies and other special interests, which often outweigh the influence of climate-focused policies.

What is the current issue with the number of climate voters in the United States according to the speaker?

The speaker states that there aren't enough climate voters in the United States to overcome the spending by special interests, which affects the political will to address climate change.

How does the speaker suggest increasing the number of climate voters without changing people's opinions on climate change?

The speaker suggests increasing the number of climate voters by encouraging environmentalists who don't currently vote to start voting, using behavioral nudges and social norms rather than changing their opinions.

What percentage of registered voters in Georgia reportedly did not vote in the 2020 presidential election, according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, 8% of registered voters in Georgia who care about climate change did not vote in the 2020 presidential election.

Why does the speaker believe that the climate movement's voting behavior is impactful on the electorate?

The speaker believes that the climate movement's voting behavior is impactful because when few voters prioritize climate change, it becomes difficult to elect climate leaders and for those leaders to enact climate policies.

How does the public record of voting behavior influence political campaigns?

Political campaigns use public voter files to identify likely voters and prioritize who to communicate with, often ignoring non-voters, which affects the issues they focus on.

What is the Environmental Voter Project, as mentioned in the script?

The Environmental Voter Project is a nonprofit founded by the speaker, which aims to identify non-voting environmentalists and turn them into consistent voters using non-partisan messaging.

What are the three steps the Environmental Voter Project uses to engage non-voting environmentalists?

The three steps are: 1) Identifying non-voting environmentalists through polling and modeling, 2) Encouraging them to start voting using behavioral science and social norms, and 3) Building long-term voting habits through continuous engagement across various elections.

How effective have the strategies of the Environmental Voter Project been in increasing voter turnout?

The strategies have been effective, with increases in turnout among target voters by as much as 1.8 percentage points in general elections, 3.6 percentage points in primaries, and 5.7 percentage points in local elections.