December, 03 2008, 10:09am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Erin Allweiss, 202-513-6254 or 202-277-8370 (cell)
Americans Want Clean Energy, Not More Oil to Solve Energy Crisis
New Polling Shows That Most Americans Believe Now Is The Time For Clean Energy Investments
WASHINGTON
A large majority (72 percent) of Americans believe that our
country has the technology to move from its reliance on oil and other
dirty fuels to support investments in clean, smart energy choices,
according to new polling data released by the Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC).
"The American
public understands that clean energy solutions are available right
now," said Dr. Dan Lashof, Director of the Climate Center at NRDC. "As
new leadership arrives in Washington, it is clear that Americans are
looking for innovative energy solutions that will end our dependence on
oil, create millions of jobs and solve global warming."
Some of the survey's notable findings include:
- 84
percent believe that higher gas prices mean we need to move away from
our dependence on oil and toward renewable energy and energy efficiency. - 77 percent believe we are capable of developing energy alternatives to reduce our economy's dependence on oil and gas.
- 72 percent believe we already have the technology to do this.
"When
people are presented with a variety of energy choices, Americans want
investment in clean, renewable energy to stabilize our costs and create
a more sustainable future," said Dr. Lashof. "These solutions -- like
the wind, sun, and Earth's natural heat -- are available and Americans
want us to start using them now."
The
survey examined Americans' views toward a number of policies to address
the country's energy crisis, and a majority of Americans - even during
a time of record gas prices - stated the following would make a "great
deal of difference" in solving our energy problems:
- Improving fuel efficiency to an average of 50 miles per gallon (68 percent).
- Investing in renewable energy such as wind, solar, and geothermal energy (68 percent).
- Building more wind farms (64 percent).
- Improving home efficiency (61 percent).
A
telephone survey was conducted by Belden Russonello and Stewart in
October. The survey interviewed 800 adults and has a margin of error of
3.2 percent: https://docs.nrdc.org/energy/ene_08120301.asp
NRDC works to safeguard the earth--its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. We combine the power of more than three million members and online activists with the expertise of some 700 scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates across the globe to ensure the rights of all people to the air, the water, and the wild.
(212) 727-2700LATEST NEWS
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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Thursday that he is "deeply concerned" by Israel's "recent and extensive violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity," including a ground invasion and airstrikes carried out by the Israel Defense Forces in the war-torn Mideastern nation.
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Israel claims its invasion and bombardment of Syria—which come as the United States and Turkey have also violated Syrian sovereignty with air and ground attacks—are meant to create a security buffer along the countries' shared border in the wake of last week's fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and amid the IDF's ongoing assault on Gaza, which has killed or wounded more than 162,000 Palestinians and is the subject of an International Court of Justice genocide case.
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Addressing the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and conversations it has sparked about the country's for-profit system, longtime Medicare for All advocate Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday condemned the murder and stressed that getting to universal coverage will require a movement challenging corporate money in politics.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—a co-sponsor of Sanders' Medicare for All Act—similarly toldHuffPost in a Tuesday interview, "The visceral response from people across this country who feel cheated, ripped off, and threatened by the vile practices of their insurance companies should be a warning to everyone in the healthcare system."
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