58 Percent More Concerned About Global Warming Now Than Two Years Ago;
Bipartisan 4 Out of 5 Urge Energy, Climate as Top Issues
for Bush & 2006/2008 Elections
WASHINGTON, March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- With concerns up sharply about global
warming, Americans of all political beliefs are disgruntled about weak federal
leadership on global warming and energy issues, while lining up solidly behind
the growing number of state and local efforts to rein in climate change
problems and to tap alternative fuel sources, according to a major new Opinion
Research Corporation (ORC) national survey released today by the nonprofit and
nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (CSI) and 40mpg.org, which is a project of
the CSI think tank.
The CSI/40mpg.org survey found that 58 percent of Americans -- including
57 percent of independents and 42 percent of conservatives -- are more
concerned about global warming today than they were two years ago. Also, more
than three out of four Americans (76 percent) -- including two out of three
conservatives -- think the federal government is not doing "enough to address
global warming and develop alternative energy sources in order to reduce our
dependence on foreign oil." At the same time, more than four out five
Americans (83 percent) -- including 77 percent of conservatives -- said that
"in the absence of federal leadership" today, they support the fast-growing
number of pushes by "state and local officials to curb global warming and
promote new energy resources."
Other key survey findings: 77 percent of Americans think that "developing
alternative or renewable energy sources and reducing U.S. dependence on
foreign oil should be President Bush's top priority for the balance of his
term in office"; and 83 percent of Americans -- including 72 percent of
conservatives and 85 percent of independents -- would like to see more
attention paid to global warming during the 2006 Congressional elections and
the 2008 Presidential elections.
Civil Society Institute President Pam Solo said: "This survey shows that
Americans of all political stripes are dissatisfied with the lack of national
leadership on climate change and energy issues. Americans want the President
and Congress to take decisive leadership steps on climate change. Right now,
state and local officials are filling a massive leadership vacuum in the
absence of meaningful federal action. The most important step to solving
climate change is clean, safe and renewable energy. The time for diagnosis is
long past. We know we have to kick the oil habit."
Opinion Research Corporation Senior Research Associate Graham Hueber said:
"One of the most striking aspects of these findings is the widespread and
decidedly bipartisan nature of the concerns about inaction on global warming
and energy solutions. We don't see the party-line polarization that is so
evident on many other national issues. This survey will give no comfort at
all to politicians who think they can drag their feet on climate change and
energy solutions."
OTHER KEY SURVEY FINDINGS
Entitled "Global Warming & Alternative Energy: A Leadership Survey," the
CSI/40mpg.org poll also found the following:
* More than four out five Americans (83 percent) support "more
leadership from the federal government to reduce the pollution linked
to global warming, encourage new approaches to promoting conservation
and spark the development of renewable or alternative energy sources."
The level of support is relatively uniform across political lines,
including 81 percent of conservatives, 83 percent of independents and
88 percent of liberals.
* About three out of five Americans (58 percent) are more concerned
about global warming today than they were two years ago -- including
76 percent of liberals, 57 percent of independents and 42 percent of
conservatives. Only about three in 10 Americans (29 percent) say there
is "no change" in their view about global warming.
* A growing number of Americans think "it is patriotic to drive a more
fuel-efficient vehicle since it requires less fuel to run, and
therefore, can help to reduce U.S. dependency on Middle Eastern oil."
Today, 71 percent of Americans agree with that statement, including 66
percent of conservatives. When the same question was posed in a
40mpg.org survey released on March 17, 2005, two-thirds of Americans
agreed with the statement, including 57 percent of conservatives.
* Three out of four Americans (74 percent) -- including 79 percent of
conservatives -- agree with the following statement: "Growing
concerns about the reliability of Middle Eastern oil now make it
difficult to separate our national security policy -- keeping America
safe -- from our environmental policy -- preserving the environment
through conservation and the development of renewable or alternative
energy resources."
* More than four out of five Americans (83 percent) support "federal
scientists and other experts" who "have been barred from speaking out
on such topics as global warming -- or strongly discouraged from doing
so." Most Americans -- including 73 percent of conservatives and 87
percent of independents -- back "whistleblowers who alert the public
to potential problems that their superiors may want to keep hidden."
* Nearly nine out of 10 Americans (87 percent) agree with the following
statement: "Given that pollution from human activities already may
change the climate in irreversible ways, do you agree or disagree with
the following statement: U.S. leaders should take steps to reduce
carbon pollution now and speed up the conversion to renewable energy
and other alternatives." Over half (55 percent) agreed strongly with
the statement, with the overall level of support being 79 percent
among conservatives and 89 percent among independents.
For full survey findings, go to http://www.civilsocietyinstitute.org and
http://www.40mpg.org. The Web sites also feature a new CSI report, "Policy
Abhors a Vacuum," which outlines steps that "more than 40 states, and almost
200 municipalities are taking ... to address global warming concerns."
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
Survey results are based on telephone interviews conducted among a sample
of 1,029 adults (512 men and 517 women) aged 18 and over living in private
households in the continental United States. Interviewing was completed by
Opinion Research Corporation during the period of February 23-26, 2006.
Completed interviews of the survey adults were weighted by four variables:
age, sex, geographic region, and race, to ensure reliable and accurate
representation of the total adult population. The margin of error is plus or
minus 3 percentage points for the complete sample of 1,029 adults. Smaller
sub-groups will have larger error margins.
ABOUT THE GROUPS
The nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute is a think tank that
serves as a catalyst for change by creating problem-solving interactions among
people, and between communities, government and business that can help to
improve society. You can find CSI on the Web at
http://www.civilsocietyinstitute.org.
Launched in March 2005, the 40mpg.org Web site includes powerful features
that permit visitors to: determine how much they would save by getting 40
miles to the gallon; compare and contrast one vehicle's fuel-efficiency
ratings with those of others; monitor how individual members of Congress
weighed in on the most recent fuel-efficiency standard votes; contact
automakers to speak out in favor of more fuel-efficient vehicles; and send a
letter to the editor of a local newspaper urging the adoption of a 40 mpg
fuel-efficiency standard. A project of the Civil Society Institute, 40mpg.org
has no direct or indirect affiliations with any vehicle maker or fuel-
efficiency technology.
CONTACT: Ailis Aaron, (703) 276-3265 or aaaron@hastingsgroup.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A streaming audio recording of the news event will be
available on the Web as of 6 p.m. ET on March 15, 2006 at
http://www.civilsocietyinstitute.org and http://www.40mpg.org. The full
survey findings, news release and CSI report already are available on the Web
sites.
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