Habitat restoration shifts predator-prey dynamics of Alberta's caribou and wolves, study says


New Alberta research suggests that the restoration of habitat may improve at-risk caribou populations.

Alberta's Caribou Monitoring Unit has released new research suggesting that the restoration of habitat may improve caribou populations.© Andrew Kurjata/CBC

Katarina Szulc - CBC -Thursday, 15/09/22

The study by the caribou monitoring unit of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute looked at restoration efforts on human-made "linear features" in boreal forests and whether that work deters predators from hunting woodland caribou.

These linear features — like seismic lines, pipelines and roads used to access oil and gas reserves — act as highways for wolves to prey on caribou, the unit says.

Melanie Dickie, the unit's research co-ordinator, said revegetating these areas is key to restoring natural predator-prey dynamics.

"These restoration treatments are designed to re-establish the forest cover over the long term, but they also create obstacles which may slow down predators, which could lead to reduced predation on caribou," Dickie said.

The study set up cameras to look at whether revegetated areas would slow down both wolves and caribou. The results showed the restoration slowed down the speed of wolves by 23 per cent and of caribou by about 40 per cent, Dickie said.

"Slowing both the predators and their prey is then expected to reduce the encounter rates. If you're moving around your environment less, you're less likely to encounter somebody else," she said.

The data was collected over a three- to four-year period, comparing restored areas with areas that had not been revegetated.

Carolyn Campbell, conservation director with the Alberta Wilderness Association, said the institute's work is encouraging but said more research is needed.

"There needs to be more and longer term research and a larger sample size," Campbell said. "But meanwhile it seems as though this should continue."

Campbell added since it takes years for the area to revegetate, it is important to continue treating the areas for long-term effects.

A 2019 University of British Columbia study published in the journal Biological Conservation showed that most predators and prey used the restored seismic lines about as much as they used the unrestored lines.

Campbell said in spite of this, restoring the original state of Alberta's boreal forests over time will force the natural dynamic between wolves and caribou to return.

"We really need to keep studying, and I think, keep taking actions to reduce that overall disturbance so that we're sure we're doing the right things, not just for caribou, but because they indicate good habitat conditions for other sensitive wildlife."

INVISIBLE 
Worker was dead in Belk department store bathroom for 4 days

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A 63-year-old worker died in the public bathroom of a South Carolina department store, but her body was not discovered for four days, authorities said.

Bessie Durham, a janitor at the Belk at Columbiana Centre, was found dead Monday in a bathroom stall, Columbia police said. Her cleaning cart was outside the restroom.

Durham was last seen Thursday at work and her body was found shortly after her family filed a missing person report, Columbia Deputy Police Chief Melron Kelly, told WIS-TV.

The Lexington County Coroner's Office said there are no signs someone killed Durham or that she was using drugs. An autopsy is planned to determine her cause of death.

The store was open regularly over those four days and Kelly said police are investigating to see if anyone was negligent.

“We’re still working with the store to find out what their process is to closing down the store, inspecting the store and things of that nature,” Kelly said.

Belk didn't return an email seeking comment.

IN OUR CRAFT AS JANITORS/CUSTODIANS, WE KNOW WE ARE INVISIBLE WORKERS

Researchers dive for kelp in the Arctic

Chantal Dubuc - CBC - Monday

Divers are wrapping up an expedition in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, after weeks of studying seaweed biodiversity.

It's an area that's been rarely studied.

Over the past few weeks, researchers have been working to track and understand what effect climate change is having on seaweed along the coastal waters of Canada's Western Arctic. They also hoped to map and study the ecology of Arctic kelp forests in the area.

Dr. Amanda Savoie, who is leading the project, spoke with CBC a couple weeks into the trip.

"There's kind of an idea that there's not really any kelp forests around here and there's not as much seaweed. And so we're kind of looking to see if that's true," Savoie said.

Savoie is a research scientist with the museum of Nature in Ottawa and the director for The Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration.

Ocean temperatures play a big role in where seaweed grows around the world, Savoie said. As waters warm, the distribution of different seaweed species changes. The Arctic and Antarctic are expected to be the most negatively affected by this, as once those waters warm there will be nowhere colder for seaweed to go.

"We know that the species composition will change and Arctic kelps will have nowhere else to go when the water gets too warm. But other kelps will move up from the South," Savoie explained.

"We're really trying to just figure out what's going on right now so that if things change in the future, we'll have a baseline to look back to for this area."

Mapping an underwater forest

Joining her as part of the research program is a team of scientists affiliated with the ArcticNet-funded project ArcticKelp along with Laval University and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. So far, the ArcticKelp project has studied and mapped kelp forests in the Eastern Arctic and this partnership will extend the knowledge to the Western Arctic.

Savoie visited Cambridge Bay this spring to meet with community members and the local Hunters and Trappers Organization, where she learned that some in the community are interested in seaweeds as a food source. She said local knowledge has been crucial to finding diving sites.

"We have a local guide who's been taking us out scuba diving on his boat and without him this study wouldn't be happening. He's so important to our work," she said.



John Lyall Jr., from Cambridge Bay, has been showing researchers

 good diving spots.© Matisse Harvey/Radio-Canada

"I think people are interested to know what we find in the marine environment in general around Cambridge Bay — if there is potential for harvesting kelp in this area."

Because tides are smaller there, researchers need to scuba dive to access the seaweed.

"We actually brought some kelp to the elders for them to try … and they loved it. That was a really cool experience," Savoie said.

John Lyall Jr., their guide in Cambridge Bay, regularly guides tourists and divers on the water.

He said it creates an exchange of knowledge — he helps them, and in turn he sometimes finds new spots for diving or learns more about the land.

"It's really cool," he said. "I'm just happy they're involving us regular people [as] guides."

A 'baseline' for future Arctic kelp research

There are an estimated 175 species of seaweed known in the Canadian Arctic. The most recent taxonomic survey dates back more than four decades from the work of museum researcher R.K.S. Lee. The Arctic specimens collected from Lee's work from the 1960s and 70s number in the hundreds and are curated in the museum's National Herbarium of Canada in Gatineau, Que.

Savoie and her colleagues hope to add to that collection and will be collecting and identifying seaweed species along with DNA data.


Amanda Savoie is leading a research project in Cambridge Bay to study Arctic seaweed.

© Matisse Harvey/Radio-Canada

"I'm going to be sequencing things that I collect back at the museum to compare their DNA essentially to other seed collections from the Arctic and from the Atlantic and Pacific," she said.

Savoie said there is evidence of kelp but scientists have yet to observe an actual kelp forest. These habitats are like tropical rainforests — hotspots for biodiversity, hosting other seaweeds and providing food and shelter for fish and invertebrates.

"We have found kelp, which is really exciting. So there is definitely kelp around here."

The multi-year program began in August and wraps up on Tuesday. Savoie said she hopes to return next year.

"With this baseline, we'll be able to compare and see the change. We don't know what the Arctic's going to look like in 20 or 30 years, and I think it could be quite different than what we're seeing now."

New Zealand raises alert level on giant Taupo volcano

By Lucy Craymer - Monday

The volcanic peaks of Mounts Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu 

rise over the shores of Lake Taupo

Reuters/Mike Hutchings

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand scientists on Tuesday increased the alert level for the volcano below the country's biggest lake, which caused the largest eruption on earth in the past 5,000 years when it last exploded about 1,800 years ago.

In a statement, geological agency GeoNet said it had detected almost 700 small earthquakes below Lake Taupo, the caldera created by the giant volcano, and had raised the volcanic alert level to 1 from 0.

The volcanic alert system is based on six escalating levels of unrest, but Geonet notes that eruptions may occur at any level, and levels may not move in sequence as activity can change rapidly.

Related video: This Robotic Research Vessel is Investigating the Tonga Volcano

Duration 1:13   View on Watch

The Taupo volcano spewed more than 100 cubic kilometres of material into the atmosphere when it last erupted around 200 BCE, devastating a large area of New Zealand's central North Island in a period before human habitation. Geonet says the eruption was the largest on the planet in the past 5,000 years.

GeoNet added this was the first time it had raised the Taupo Volcano alert level to 1, but this was not the first time there had been unrest and said the chance of an eruption remains very low.

"The earthquakes and deformation could continue for the coming weeks or months," it said.

New Zealand straddles the boundary between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates and experiences significant volcanism and earthquakes.

In 2019, White Island, as known as Whakaari, suddenly erupted, spewing steam and ash, killing 22 people and seriously injuring 25, mostly tourists.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

Office workers at Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery launch strike

Montreal Gazette - Yesterday 

Tombstones at Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery.© Provided by The Gazette

Office workers at Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery launched a 30-day strike on Tuesday saying they’re frustrated by dragging negotiations with their union.

“Exercising such a strike mandate is contrary to our mission and our dedication to our customers,” Éric Dufault, president of the Syndicat des employées de bureau du Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, said in a press release.

“The contemptuous attitude of our employer, which maintains a toxic work atmosphere, pushed us to where we are and only a radical change in culture on its part can convince us of (the employer’s) good faith.”

The union, which represents 17 employees, has been without a new contract for five years. The union contends the Fabrique Notre-Dame claims it has financial problems without backing up the claim and says it doesn’t have a mandate from its board of directors to come to an agreement with the union.

The union members unanimously voted for a 30-day strike mandate earlier in September.

The union said it’s seeking pay hikes for all office workers at the cemetery, whose salaries have been frozen for nearly six years, without revealing its exact list of demands.

IMPERIALIST GEMOLOGY

South Africans Want The Return Of ‘World’s Largest Diamond’ on Queen Elizabeth’s Sceptre

Brunno Braga

Mon, September 19, 2022

Queen Elizabeth II’s death gathered a mix of feelings around the world. The historic role of the British monarchy and its relations with its former colonies is one of them. In South Africa, people are debating about the return of the world’s largest diamond, owned by the Queen.

Known as ‘The Great Star of Africa’, the gem has 530 carats, mined in South Africa in 1905. It has an estimated worth of $400 million.

The Great Star Of Africa | Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reaction

“The Cullinan Diamond must be returned to South Africa with immediate effect,” activist Thanduxolo Sabelo told local media, adding that: “The minerals of our country and other countries continue to benefit Britain at the expense of our people.”

According to CNN, more than 6,000 people have signed a petition asking for the return of the gem. After sending condolences to all members of the Royal Family on Twitter, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa’s message received many posts from South Africans, claiming the return of the Great Star diamond.

According to the Royal Collection Trust, the Cullinan diamond was a gift to King Edward VII in 1907. It was two years after its discovery in a private mine in South Africa’s old Transvaal province. The Royal Collection Trust oversees the royal collection of the British royal family.

A University of South Africa professor of African politics, Everisto Benyera, rejects the narrative. He told CNN those colonial transactions were illegitimate and immoral. “Our narrative is that the whole Transvaal and Union of South Africa governments and the concomitant mining syndicates were illegal,” Benyera said.

“Receiving a stolen diamond does not exonerate the receiver. The Great Star is a blood diamond. The private (mining) company, the Transvaal government, and the British Empire were part of a larger network of coloniality.”

Leigh-Ann Mathys, a national spokeswoman for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a South African opposition political party, joined the claim. “We don’t call for its return, as this implies that there was a valid agreement in terms of which the British royal family was borrowed the diamond. It is in their possession purely as a result of colonial tenacities that suffocated natives in this country and elsewhere,” Mathys told CNN.

Canadians Deserve to Vote on Breaking With the Monarchy

New polling suggests that a majority of Canadians want a vote on maintaining their country’s link to the British Crown. Imagine that: a long-overdue, democratic debate on cutting ties with a wildly undemocratic institution.

Charles III waves goodbye before departing Yellowknife, Canada, after a Platinum Jubilee Royal Tour of Canada on May 19, 2022. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images)

BYLUKE SAVAGE

The Canadian response in the days following the death of Queen Elizabeth II might best be characterized as one of ambivalence. Which is to say: as political elites have engaged in a rather strained, week-long official mourning, average citizens have mostly responded with something resembling a collective shrug. Unlike Australia, which in 1999 held a referendum that only narrowly voted to maintain ties with the monarchy, Canada has never had a strong republican movement. On the other hand, aside from a few particularly embarrassing characters on social media and a weird monarchist strain running through the Conservative Party, the opposing position isn’t passionately held either — the result being that the issue has rarely been discussed or debated.

That debate, to put it mildly, is long overdue. And, as newly published polling would seem to suggest, Canadians’ general ambivalence may in fact be crystallizing into something a bit more clearly defined. Like most public opinion polls, the data freshly released by Ipsos has its share of ambiguity. Eight in ten respondents, for example, believe that Queen Elizabeth II “did a good job in her role as monarch” while a much narrower majority of 56 percent expressed their confidence that “King Charles III will do a good job in his role as monarch.” The study’s top-line finding, however, is still striking:

Roughly half (54%) agree (20% strongly/33% somewhat) that now that Queen Elizabeth II’s reign has ended, Canada should end its formal ties to the British monarchy. This sentiment is down 5 points from 2021, but up from 44% in 2011.

Moreover, nearly 60 percent of those surveyed want a referendum on the future of the monarchy in Canada — up five points since the Queen’s death earlier this month.

For many political elites, the issue will be considered a nonstarter regardless of what the polling says. In an interview set to air this Sunday, for example, Justin Trudeau will reportedly dismiss the idea of a referendum and declare it a low priority. Constitutionally speaking, there’s little doubt that the actual business of abolishing the monarchy would be incredibly complicated. At the best of times, Canadian federalism is impossibly intricate, and constitutional change is a difficult feat to pull off (any change would also need to take into account important realities like existing treaties between the Crown and Indigenous peoples). Still, a referendum — in the form of a single question or possibly in several stages — could give such a process a democratic mandate and, if nothing else, would represent an occasion to seriously debate the issue.

For what it’s worth, the republican side of such a debate would have plenty of persuasive arguments at its disposal and, aside from bland appeals to tradition or “continuity,” it’s uncertain what monarchists could really offer in reply. Republicans, on the other hand, could make the case that breaking ties with the British Crown is the natural next stage of Canada’s development into a modern multicultural democracy.

Trudeau, for what it’s worth, has offered a basically small-c conservative defense of forgoing a referendum (“We are able to have all the strength of debates that we need to have in Canada without worrying about the overarching stability of institutions because they are embodied by structures that have been in place for hundreds of years.”) If anything, the authentically small-c conservative case in the tradition of Michael Oakeshott or even Edmund Burke is one tending toward severing ties rather than maintaining them: for all intents and purposes, Canada is already a pluralist democracy and, insofar as there was ever an argument for constitutional monarchy, it’s long been an anachronistic one.

As for the fine institutional details of how a prospective Canadian republic might be fashioned, those would require a still more complicated, and likely far more protracted, debate. Australia’s referendum question of 1999, for what it’s worth, straightforwardly proposed replacing the Queen and governor-general with a president appointed by a two-thirds majority in Parliament — which is certainly not a bad place to start. Regardless, now more than ever Canadians deserve a real debate about the future of constitutional monarchy. And, in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, it seems probable that the desire for one will only continue to grow.

CONTRIBUTORS
Luke Savage is a staff writer at Jacobin.

 

Israeli Forces Deliberately Killed Palestinian American Journalist, Report Shows

Alice Speri | The Intercept | September 20

Over the past few months, report after report has come out proving that an Israeli army sniper killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Yesterday, one more report was released, and as the head researcher notes, it “is literally the last nail in the coffin of what the army is arguing.” This report proves that the sniper intentionally targeted Abu Akleh, had a clear line of sight to notice that she was a member of the press and continued firing at anyone that tried to help her. In short, this report proves that the killing wasn’t an accident: it was effectively an assasination. The Intercept has put together a good summary of the report. Alice Speri writes, “The new report, which includes a detailed digital reconstruction of the incident based on previously unseen footage recorded by Al Jazeera staff at the scene, in addition to witness testimony, open-source video, and a drone survey of the area, offers the most conclusive account yet of what transpired that day. [...] the new reconstruction clearly shows that there were neither armed gunmen nor shots fired in the minutes leading up to Abu Akleh’s killing. Instead, the reconstruction shows that Abu Akleh’s and her colleagues’ ‘PRESS’ insignia was clearly visible from the position of the IDF shooter; that the shooter had a ‘clear line of fire,’ indicating ‘precise aim.’” The groups behind the investigation have also put out a video including some of this reconstruction, footage that hasn’t been seen before and new interviews. You can watch it on YouTube. It’s essential viewing if you’d like to see exactly how things happened. (5 minute read) Written by Davide Mastracci - September 21, 2022

Religion and the founding documents: Christian nationalism is not Christian or American

Bill Gindlesperger
Wed, September 21, 2022 

Some members of the Republican party, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and those within the Donald Trump cult, are now wrapping themselves in T-shirts proclaiming to be “proud Christian Nationalists.” This is an insult to those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

In case you have forgotten, true Christians put faith and trust, not in how big and mean and strong they are, but in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, his torture and death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. Christian behavior reflects Jesus Christ by being gracious and merciful to others, forgiving, loving and praying for enemies, welcoming and serving the marginalized among us, caring for the sick, needy, underprivileged, widowed, orphaned, poor, abused and vulnerable, and by striving for justice. This is what is meant by being a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ.

II Corinthians 5:17 cuts to the chase. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" This means that selfish and worldly pursuits are exchanged for desire to honor God.

Christian people see the world through the lens of "others first." Christians are called to love the orphan and widow and care for those less fortunate. James 1:27 makes it clear. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

John 13:34-35 quotes Jesus, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

How soon we forget. How easy it is for those who wave power and self-interest in front of us to override our deepest-held beliefs.

Take Greene, for example. She says that the Republican Party needs “to be the party of nationalism and I’m a Christian, and I say it proudly, we should be Christian nationalists.” In fact, she hawks T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Proud Christian Nationalist.” That would not be so bad if people were not buying them.

The idea is that Christian nationalists must stand against those who are out to destroy America and to cut ties with God. You know, those ugly Americans who are lefties, non-white, non-Christian, and godless immigrants. While Christian nationalists are on team Jesus, everyone else is on team Satan.

Christian nationalists hide their hatred for others who are unlike themselves behind their false beliefs about the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The fact is that religious liberty is enshrined in the Constitution. Believing America is a Christian country founded by and for Christians is a deeply misguided, wrong and dangerous view.

The Declaration of Independence says, “That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The First Amendment to the Constitution goes further and establishes the right of religious freedom, ensuring that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof … .”

Greene, Boebert, Trump and those aligned with them choose to ignore the very documents that are the basis of our great country. They drive toward Christian nationalism. Yet Christian nationalism is an oxymoron. It is neither Christian nor patriotic.

Jesus Christ had something to say about this. In Matthew 22:21, Jesus is recorded as saying, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” This points out a clear division between the religious establishment and the government.

Yet Green claims that democracy does not matter, because America is a place where only conservative Christian nationalists count as true Americans.

Cutting to the bottom line, wrapping hateful words on a T-shirt is not unlike a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Appearing righteous, carrying a cross and wrapping up in a flag, is a clear sign of hypocrisy. Spewing hate-filled ideology, dividing families and undermining democracy is not Christianity.

Jesus Christ warned us in Matthew 7:15-20: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

Listening to Green, Boebert, Trump and their ilk, it sounds like Democrats and liberal leaning voters hate God and America. Honestly, liberal people neither hate God nor their country. There is no “Team Satan.” And there is no “Godless left.” Liberals are just like anyone else. They have their own views on the government and how best we govern ourselves.

White Christian nationalists make up only a small percent of the total population, but are noisy and make up a goodly number of the ultra-right base. They are likely to believe that the election was stolen from Trump, the lies told among QAnon followers, and a coming violence to rescue our country.

I believe it’s time for people of good will to speak up and support the values of love, caring, equity, equality, responsible freedom, and justice. All of us need to speak out against Greene, Boebert, and those within the Trump cult, who are working overtime to hijack Christianity and to ignore the teachings of Jesus Christ for their own self-serving purposes.

Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, Shippensburg University Trustee, and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. eLynxx software coordinates and drives communication, specifying, approval, procurement or production, reporting and activities necessary to obtaining direct mail, marketing materials, promo and all other printing. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at Bill.Gindlesperger@eLynxx.com

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Greene, Boebert and Trump's cult are wolves in sheep's clothing

ABOLISHING THE FIRST AMENDMENT

Most Republicans Support Declaring the United States a Christian Nation



Stella Rouse and Shibley Telhami
Wed, September 21, 2022

Christian nationalism, a belief that the United States was founded as a white, Christian nation and that there is no separation between church and state, is gaining steam on the right.

Prominent Republican politicians have made the themes critical to their message to voters in the run up to the 2022 midterm elections. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, has argued that America is a Christian nation and that the separation of church and state is a “myth.” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia hard-liner, declared: “We need to be the party of nationalism and I’m a Christian, and I say it proudly, we should be Christian Nationalists.” Amid a backlash, she doubled down and announced she would start selling “Christian Nationalist” shirts. Now Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis seems to be flirting with Christian nationalist rhetoric, as well.

Appeals to Christian nationalism have a long tradition in American history, though they have usually operated on the fringes. But the increasingly mainstream appearance of this belief in GOP circles makes sense if you look at new public opinion surveys. Our new University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll suggests that declaring the United States a Christian nation is a message that could be broadly embraced by Republicans in the midterms and 2024 presidential race. But our findings also see limits to its appeal — and over the long-term, Christian nationalism could be a political loser.

Most Republicans Say Christian Nationalism Is Unconstitutional — But Still Support It

Our national poll included 2,091 participants, carried out May 6-16, 2022, with a margin of error of +/- 2.14 percent.

We started by asking participants if they believed the Constitution would even allow the United States government to declare the U.S. a “Christian Nation.” We found that 70 percent of Americans — including 57 percent of Republicans and 81 percent of Democrats — said that the Constitution would not allow such a declaration. (Indeed, the First Amendment says Congress can neither establish nor prohibit the practice of a religion.)

We followed up by asking: “Would You Favor or Oppose the United States Officially Declaring the United States to be a Christian Nation?” The findings were striking.

Overall, 62 percent of respondents said they opposed such a declaration, including 83 percent of Democrats and 39 percent of Republicans. Fully 61 percent of Republicans supported declaring the United States a Christian nation. In other words, even though over half of Republicans previously said such a move would be unconstitutional, a majority of GOP voters would still support this declaration.

Not surprisingly, much of the support for declaring the U.S. a Christian nation comes from Republicans who identify themselves as Evangelical or born-again Christians: Seventy-eight percent of this group support the move compared to 48 percent of other Republicans. Among Democrats, a slight majority of those identifying themselves as Evangelical or born-again Christians also backed such a declaration (52 percent), compared to just 8 percent of other Democrats.
Younger Generations, Including Younger Republicans, Are Less Supportive of Christian Nationalism

Previous research has shown that the youngest generations — millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) — are less likely to be religiously affiliated and to trust religious institutions. That’s also consistent with the results from our Critical Issues Poll.

We found that members of younger generations are less likely than those of older generations to support declaring the U.S. a Christian nation. Only about a quarter of Millennial respondents (25 percent) and a third of Generation Z respondents (34 percent) favor this declaration. By contrast, a majority of respondents from the two oldest generations — Silent Generation (those born between 1928 and 1945) and baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) support the U.S. being declared a Christian nation (54 percent and 50 percent, respectively).

Within the generations, partisanship also plays a role in shaping attitudes about Christian nationalism.

Most Republicans in every age group favor designating the U.S. a Christian nation, but even more so in older generations. Fully 71 percent of Silent Generation Republicans and 72 percent of Republican baby boomers would like to see the U.S. officially declared a Christian nation, compared to 33 percent of Silent Generation Democrats and 20 percent of Democratic baby boomers. Among the youngest generations, we see that 51 percent of Millennial Republicans and 51 percent of Generation Z Republicans want the U.S. to be declared a Christian nation, compared to 10 percent of Millennial Democrats and 7 percent of Generation Z Democrats.

Along with age, race can also play a factor when it comes to sympathizing with Christian nationalism.

Our polling found that white grievance is highly correlated with support for a Christian nation. White respondents who say that members of their race have faced more discrimination than others are most likely to embrace a Christian America. Roughly 59 percent of all Americans who say white people have been discriminated against a lot more in the past five years favor declaring the U.S. a Christian nation, compared to 38 percent of all Americans. White Republicans who said white people have been more discriminated against also favored a Christian nation (65 percent) by a slightly larger percentage than all Republicans (63 percent).

The rising threat to American democracy was made quite clear during the Jan. 6 insurrection, which featured, not incidentally, significant Christian nationalist imagery. Indeed, as our polling shows, a non-trivial number of Americans want to see the U.S. become a Christian nation— even if they acknowledge that the Constitution prohibits such a designation. Prominent Republican politicians have seized on this sentiment and are openly campaigning on a message of Christian nationalism.

Our poll results demonstrate why this message may be resonating, at least among the most ardent, religious and older base of the Republican Party. However, this strategy may be short-sighted. As our findings demonstrate, there is strong opposition to declaring the U.S. a Christian nation among younger Americans, and even younger Republicans. For that reason, the GOP may want to tread carefully or risk alienating rising generations.