ADVANCEMENT OF THE SCIENCE
TABLE 3
Climate Solution Beliefs of National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Members and the United States Public From the American Climate Metrics Survey
Solution Statement
Survey Respondent Agreement With Statement (%)
2016
2017
2018
2019
NEHA Members
U.S. Public
NEHA Members
U.S. Public
NEHA Members
U.S. Public
NEHA Members
U.S. Public
Charge corporate polluters a fee.
71
78
81 81 76 88 82
81 76 72 76 72
84 86 85 91 83
83 81 76 80 79
83* 83* 78* 86* 81*
76 73 68 74 71
Pass laws for more efficient buildings and cars. Provide personal tax credits for electric cars. Expand public transit like buses and trains. Provide corporate tax credits to expand clean energy.
NA NA NA NA
Modernize America’s electric grid.
NA
94
83
97
87
90*
77
Note. Chi-square analyses were conducted on the 2019 data only. NA = not applicable because the solution was not included in the survey that year. *Significant based on chi-square analyses ( p < .05).
Future ACMS eorts should be contin- ued to maintain an understanding of the dynamic needs of environmental public health professionals. Public perception of climate change can shift based on politi- cal and economic situations and overall national discourse. Local environmental public health professionals are knowledge- able about the factors that influence their community’s perception of climate change. Survey results can help them tailor commu- nications and propose solutions. We think it will be useful for future ACMS eorts to include questions about how NEHA mem- bers are integrating climate justice into routine environmental public health ser- vices. This information will help us support environmental public health programs to develop and share leading practices on tar- geted mitigation and adaptation initiatives to communities and people who are most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Conclusion Understanding the perceptions held by NEHA members and by the general public regarding climate change and health and solutions to identified challenges will bet- ter inform how NEHA can support envi- ronmental public health professionals to communicate climate and health threats and to implement mitigation and adapta- tion initiatives. Our analysis revealed that
FIGURE 3
Green New Deal Solutions Perceived by National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Members and the United States Public From the 2019 American Climate Metrics Survey
Provide training for jobs to transition to a New Green economy* Develop technologies that remove carbon pollution from the air* Preserve nuclear power plants*
74
84
79
89
66
78
Move away from sources that create carbon pollution*
66
78
Speed up the transition to clean sources of energy
77
83
0
20
40
60
80
100
% of Respondents U.S. Public NEHA Members
*Significant based on chi-square analyses ( p < .05).
although most NEHA members and public respondents believe that climate change is happening, more NEHA members recognize the importance of taking urgent action to mitigate and adapt to climate threats. Some specific areas can be targeted, such as pro-
viding education on the benefits of prevent- ing climate change and lowering energy costs and encouraging participation in pro- grams such as CHAMP. With limited funding for local environ- mental public health to address climate
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Volume 86 • Number 7
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