The
Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the Center for Climate Change
Communication at George Mason University released their survey of the public
(as of September 2012) in a bi-annual report. A staggering 92% of Americans say the
President and Congress should make developing sources of clean energy a
priority. The full report can be seen
here.
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| The cover for the new report. |
For
the record: I have been working with the Center for Climate Change
Communication and Climate Central on the segment at WLTX called Climate
Matters. I am a co-author of two papers
now undergoing peer-review with these two organizations. In addition, the two organizations have been
supportive of this blog by occasionally supplying information and graphics. However, I have not been involved with this
survey project.
The
two groups at Yale and George Mason have been tracking public opinion for some
time. In addition, they have surveyed
the opinions of broadcast meteorologists.
This survey is a continuation of the public survey and is a snapshot of
the opinion as of September 2012.
Executive Summary
• Nearly all Americans (92%) say the president and the Congress
should make developing sources of clean energy a “very high” (31%), “high” (38%), or “medium”
priority (23%). Very few say it should be a low priority (8%).
• A large majority (77%) say global warming should be a “very
high” (18%), “high” (25%), or
“medium” priority (34%) for the president and Congress. One in
four (23%) say it should be a
low priority.
• Six in ten Americans (61%) say the U.S. should reduce its own
greenhouse gas emissions
regardless of what other countries do.
• A large majority of Americans (88%) say the U.S. should make an
effort to reduce global warming, even if it has economic costs. A plurality (44%) favors a
medium-scale effort, even if it has moderate economic costs. One in four (24%) supports a
large-scale effort even if there are large economic costs. And one in five (19%) supports a small-scale
effort, even if it has small economic costs.
• Americans say that corporations and industry (71%), citizens
themselves (66%), the U.S.
Congress (60%), and the President (53%) should be doing more to
address global warming.
• Majorities also support funding more research into renewable
energy sources (73%), providing tax rebates for people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or
solar panels (73%), regulating CO2 as a pollutant (66%), eliminating all subsidies for the
fossil-fuel industry (59%), and expanding drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast
(58%).
• These policies, however, have seen declining support over the
past several years. Since 2008, support for funding research on renewable energy sources is down
19 percentage points, expanding offshore drilling is down 17 points, regulating CO2 as a
pollutant is down 14 points, and tax rebates for the purchase of energy-efficient vehicles or
solar panels is down 12 points.
• Eight in ten (78%) say that in the future, the United States
should use renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal much more or somewhat more than
we do today.
• Over half (54%) also say that in the future, the U.S. should use
much less (26%) or somewhat less (28%) fossil fuels than we do today.
• At least half of Americans say they would vote for a candidate
who supports a revenue neutral carbon tax, if it created more American jobs in the renewable
energy and energy efficiency industries (61% would support such a candidate), decreased
pollution by encouraging companies to find less polluting alternatives (58%), or was used to pay down
the national debt (52%).
• Asked who has influence on elected officials’ decisions about
global warming, Americans think the big players are large campaign contributors (50% say they have
“a lot” of influence) and fossil-fuel companies (42%). Fewer think renewable energy
companies (23%), environmentalists (22%), or climate scientists (20%) have a lot of influence on
elected officials.
• Large majorities of Democrats (81%) and Independents (77%) say
the president and Congress should make the development of clean energy sources a high or very
high priority; nearly half of Republicans agree (46%).
• Most Democrats (61%) and Independents (61%) say the United
States should use less fossil fuel in the future. By contrast, only 38 percent of Republicans say the
United States should use less fossil fuel in the future.
• Democrats are more likely to “strongly support” funding more
research into renewables (41%), offering tax rebates to those who purchase energy-efficient
vehicles or solar panels (40%), and regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant (33%) than Republicans.
• Republicans are most likely to “strongly support” the expansion
of drilling off the U.S. coast
(41%). Relatively few Democrats (10%) strongly support offshore
drilling.
• Across party lines, Democrats (83%), Independents (85%), and
Republicans (71%) say the U.S. should use more renewable energy sources (solar, wind, and
geothermal) than we do today.
Politicians
face a fiscal-cliff and a climate-cliff.
The former is dangerous in the short-run, while the latter is a danger
in the long-run. Both of these must be
solved, but the public will likely have to demand action.
