By Kathy Knauer, Julie Grant, Reid Frazier and Kara Holsopple of The Allegheny Front and Sydney Roach, Rivka Wolin and Erell Williams of WPSU
On Election Day, we talked with voters in several Pennsylvania counties about the environment and climate change – what they think about them and how those issues might have affected their ballot choices.
Listen to the story
Allegheny County
On a really warm and sunny November day in Pittsburgh, Janet Watkins said she is definitely concerned about the climate.
“I am concerned about the difference in weather we see and the climate, global warming, of course,” she said. “I recycle like a nut. I do my part.”
She voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I don’t think that Trump really cares about the environment,” she said. “I’m not really sure where Kamala stands on that issue. But I know that Trump has made it clear he’s not interested.”
Adam Golden also voted for Harris, and said we all have to be concerned with the environment. But it didn’t play into his vote.
“I think if anything, it plays more of a factor in primary voting than general elections, because there’s just such a big difference in many issues between Democratic and Republican nominees,” he said. “I don’t think the environment is going to be a dealbreaker on any of those for a general election.”
Marcus Visco, a conservative, believes there are environmental problems.
“But I don’t believe the windmill and the solar panels are going to cure it, and I don’t think they can fix the global warming situation,” Visco said. “Climate change is going to change no matter what, if we’re here or not. I mean, we have a pollution problem, I’ll give you that. But I don’t believe in the climate change…our government can’t fix it.”
For Visco, freedom and liberty are the most important issues.
“I’m not voting for Trump. I’m voting for freedom: First Amendment, Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment,” he said.
Beaver County
In Beaver County, near the Shell ethane cracker, Eva Hernandez said climate change is a big deal for her and did play into her vote for Harris. However, she thinks there are more important issues, like women’s rights.
“She just seems like a better candidate. Because I’m Hispanic, so my grandma came from Mexico, and that’s a big issue for me too,” Hernandez said.
Penny and Nick Colao voted for Trump. Penny said she doesn’t want to see streams and rivers polluted.
“But I believe that they have carried this to a ridiculous extreme, like wanting to go to paper straws because of the plastic straws or problems with the emissions from the cattle and the animals,” she said.
Nick Colao takes issue with renewables.
“Green energy with Tesla cars, it’s not going to work. It never will work,” he said. “And it’s just a waste of our time.”
Penny Colao added that solar energy is a moneymaking scam.
“There’s way more better places for us to spend our tax dollars,” she said.
Washington County
In Canonsburg, Washington County, which is surrounded by fracking wells, Mike Romankiewicz held up a sign in front of his polling place that read, “Save America. Vote Republican. Vote Trump.”
A key issue for Romankiewicz is immigration, and he said he has zero concern about climate change.
“It could be happening to a small degree,” he said. “And I believe it’s a cycle of the earth. And this is not some new phenomenon caused by industry…but I’m no scientist. I can only offer my opinion.”
But climate is a leading issue for Brandy Moore.
“That’s not going to be a problem for me. But my granddaughter is going to live on this earth long time after I’m gone. So it’s huge,” she said.
She said she wouldn’t vote for anyone who would try to destroy the EPA.
Brandy Moore voted for Vice President Harris. Her concerns were reproductive rights and climate change, which she said will impact her granddaughter. photo: Reid Frazier / The Allegheny Front
Centre County
In State College, in Centre County, Alex Weimer’s top issue as a voter is the war in Gaza.
“Even though I would say the candidate who I voted for didn’t really have the alignment that I personally align with,” Weimer said. “I think the biggest thing in this election is not Trump. You know, as a Democratic voter, someone who’s, you know, leaning very left, it’s all about who’s not Trump, I guess.”
Weimer voted for Harris, and said climate is also important.
“I think it’s definitely an issue that we are just overlooking,” he said. “And I think a lot of Republican views on how we should handle the climate crisis are just really dismissive, especially in favor of corporate greed.”
Penn State student Ryan Klein voted for Trump. He is also the president of the College Republicans.
“I think climate change is certainly an issue,” he said. “I think it’s something that both parties should definitely talk about. If somebody really cares about climate and the environment, you’ll also care about reshoring American manufacturing so that we’re producing things here in America and doing so in a much cleaner and cost effective way.”
