Blog: Californians see a need for immediate action on climate change
This year’s Earth Day comes as California emerges from a winter and spring marked by extreme precipitation, following years of drought and last fall’s historic heat wave. Over the past several months, Californians have been buffeted by more than a dozen atmospheric rivers that have caused more than $5 billion in damage across the state—with more damage expected when the Sierra Nevada snowpack melts in the coming weeks. As climate change becomes more clearly linked to extreme weather, what do Californians think about the need to counter its effects? According to the February 2023 PPIC Statewide Survey, three in four Californians think it is necessary to take steps to counter the effects of climate change right away, while one in four say it is not necessary to take steps yet.