The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it will roll back or change 31 environmental rules and regulations.
Some of these changes include revisions of national air quality standards for particulate matter, emission standards for industrial air pollutants and regulations restricting vehicle emissions.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the deregulation will drive “a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion to drive down cost of living for American families, unleash American energy, bring auto jobs back to the U.S. and more.”
But a new update to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication’s Climate Opinion Maps suggests most Americans support at least some environmental regulation.
Yale’s study is based on estimates from large national surveys totaling more than 32,000 people between November 2008 and December 2024. Some questions have been included since the beginning, but Yale researchers also added questions over the years.
Nationally, they found an estimated 2 out of 3 Americans support the U.S. economy transitioning from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050 — a newly added measurement in the 2024 update. An even higher share, about 3 out of 4, support regulating carbon emissions and funding research into renewable energy.
Support for these policies is typically lower in more rural states and counties. In Wyoming, for example, an estimated 43% support a full transition to clean energy — one of three states where fewer than half of adults support this policy.
By comparison, 3 out of 4 adults in Maryland, Vermont and Massachusetts support a full transition to clean energy, higher than the national average.
In every state and county in the U.S., the Yale study found more than half of Americans support regulating carbon emissions and funding research into renewable energy.
Yale’s study also found that about 63% of Americans say they are “worried” about global warming and believe it will harm people in the U.S.
These opinions also vary by geography, with more people in urban areas saying they are worried about global warming.
Nationally, a majority of people believe government officials should do more to address climate change. However, more people wanted action from people and companies than from government. See the differences below on where people are looking for action.
