The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal

Two Thirds of U.S. Public Willing to Pay to Fight Global Warming
Jim Lobe
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jun 28 (OneWorld) - More than 80 percent of the U.S. public supports pending legislation to cut the emission of greenhouse gases, while two thirds said they are willing to pay the U.S.$15 a month - or nearly $200 a year - that experts believe the legislation, the Climate Stewardship Act (CSA), will cost the average household, according to a nationwide poll released Friday.

Public support is also strong for using tax incentives to encourage utility companies to use cleaner energy technologies and car-buyers to purchase more energy-efficient cars, according to the survey, which was conducted by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA).

Moreover, slightly more than half of respondents (52 percent) said a candidate's support for the cutting emissions would incline them more to vote for him in November, while only 14 percent said that such support would make them less inclined to vote for him. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has endorsed the bill, officially known as the Climate Stewardship Act (CSA), while President George W. Bush opposes it.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64 percent) said they would want their member of Congress to support the Kyoto Protocol, which is also supported by Kerry but opposed by Bush.

The poll, which coincided with the running of the Hollywood special-effects blockbuster on global warming, 'The Day After Tomorrow,' found that the movie did not appreciably affect viewer attitudes toward global warming or the urgency with which the problem should be addressed.

But it did find that...(Full Story)