Poll: Most Hispanics concerned about climate change

Hispanics are far more likely than whites to feel threatened by climate change and support the Obama administration’s efforts to fight it, according to a new survey.

The poll, conducted by the New York Times, Stanford University and Resources for the Future, found that 54 percent of Hispanics see climate change as something that is extremely or very important to them personally, much higher than the 37 percent of whites who answered in the same way.

{mosads}Sixty-seven percent of Hispanics Americans predicted that they’d be hurt personally if nothing was done to stop global warming, an opinion shared by only half of white Americans, the Times reports.

Broad federal action to slow climate change also got strong support among Hispanics, with 63 percent in support, compared with less than half of whites.

Hispanics are far more likely than white people to identify as Democrats, so some of the climate support is political.

But it also shows that concern over climate change is not merely an issue that well-off white people care about, the Times said.

The survey additionally could serve as a warning to Republicans hoping to woo Hispanics in the 2016 election. Those candidates may have to face Hispanics who disagree with current party policies that oppose efforts to fight climate change.