Dive Brief:
- A national Bloomberg poll showed 62% of Americans are for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction measures, even if the measures increase the cost of energy, and only 33% are opposed.
- 49% of Republicans opposed emissions reductions measures that increase the cost of energy but 82% of Democrats and 60% of Independents favored them.
- The poll was a response to last week’s release by the EPA of a draft U.S. emissions reduction plan that targeted a 30% cut in CO2 emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 at an estimated cost of $8.8 billion.
Dive Insight:
Barclays Bank predicted the EPA plan would increase U.S. electric utility rates 10% by 2030.
46% of those polled considered climate change a “major” threat and 27% considered it a “minor” threat. 50% wanted the federal government to adopt anti-climate change policies over the next 10 years.
70% of Democrats, 51% of Independents, and 28% of Republicans said they would be likely to vote for candidates who call for climate change action.
53% doubted President Obama’s argument that emissions reductions will have significant benefits on asthma and other respiratory diseases, including 73% of Republicans, 60% of Independents, and 30% of Democrats.
48% of those polled “trust” warnings from scientists about climate change but 43% believe scientists “manipulate their findings for political reasons.”
69% of respondents to a Washington Post/ABC News poll said global warming is a serious problem while 29% said it isn’t, including 67% to 31% in states carried by Mitt Romney in 2012 and 70% to 28% in states carried by Barack Obama.
70% of those polled by Washington Post/ABC News favored federal limits on emissions and 21% did not, including 63% who favored regulations even if that added $20 to their monthly electricity bill and 33% who did not.
