Jun 03, 2014
Not only do a significant majority of Americans believe that state and federal governments should regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants in order to stave off resulting global warming, according to a new poll, they're willing to pay a financial cost to help make that happen.
On the same day as new rules by the Obama administration were made official by the Environmental Protection Agency, an ABC/Washington Post poll found that 7 out of 10 people--called a "huge majority"--agree that the government should enforce regulations that "limit the release of greenhouse gases from existing power plants in an effort to reduce global warming."
When asked if they would still support such effort even if it would increase their monthly energy bills by $20, a full 63 percent said they would.
No one is arguing that the findings of this poll represent a new era in which seventy percent of Americans are calling for a dramatic shift of the nation's energy paradigm as their primary political call. What it does seem to say, however, is that a subtantial cross-section of the American public--as opposed to lawmakers in Congress--are willing to take responsibility for the climate crisis by acknowledging the problem and by showing an increasing willingness to help solve it.
____________________________________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Not only do a significant majority of Americans believe that state and federal governments should regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants in order to stave off resulting global warming, according to a new poll, they're willing to pay a financial cost to help make that happen.
On the same day as new rules by the Obama administration were made official by the Environmental Protection Agency, an ABC/Washington Post poll found that 7 out of 10 people--called a "huge majority"--agree that the government should enforce regulations that "limit the release of greenhouse gases from existing power plants in an effort to reduce global warming."
When asked if they would still support such effort even if it would increase their monthly energy bills by $20, a full 63 percent said they would.
No one is arguing that the findings of this poll represent a new era in which seventy percent of Americans are calling for a dramatic shift of the nation's energy paradigm as their primary political call. What it does seem to say, however, is that a subtantial cross-section of the American public--as opposed to lawmakers in Congress--are willing to take responsibility for the climate crisis by acknowledging the problem and by showing an increasing willingness to help solve it.
____________________________________________
Not only do a significant majority of Americans believe that state and federal governments should regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants in order to stave off resulting global warming, according to a new poll, they're willing to pay a financial cost to help make that happen.
On the same day as new rules by the Obama administration were made official by the Environmental Protection Agency, an ABC/Washington Post poll found that 7 out of 10 people--called a "huge majority"--agree that the government should enforce regulations that "limit the release of greenhouse gases from existing power plants in an effort to reduce global warming."
When asked if they would still support such effort even if it would increase their monthly energy bills by $20, a full 63 percent said they would.
No one is arguing that the findings of this poll represent a new era in which seventy percent of Americans are calling for a dramatic shift of the nation's energy paradigm as their primary political call. What it does seem to say, however, is that a subtantial cross-section of the American public--as opposed to lawmakers in Congress--are willing to take responsibility for the climate crisis by acknowledging the problem and by showing an increasing willingness to help solve it.
____________________________________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.