Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

5. Support for Government Action on Global Warming

5.1. Registered voters support diverse energy policies.

Registered voters support a broad array of energy policies, including many designed to reduce carbon pollution and dependence on fossil fuels, and to promote clean energy. Democrats are the most likely to support such policies, but majorities of Independents and Republicans do as well, including:

• Funding more research into renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power (84% of all registered voters, 91% of Democrats, 87% of Independents, and 75% of Republicans).

• Providing tax rebates to people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels (81% of all registered voters, 91% of Democrats, 84% of Independents, and 70% of Republicans).

• Regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant (75% of all registered voters, 88% of Democrats, 78% of Independents, and 61% of Republicans).

• Requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a carbon tax and using the money to reduce other taxes such as income taxes by an equal amount (68% of all registered voters, 86% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 47% of Republicans).

5.2. Registered voters, except conservative Republicans, support setting strict carbon dioxide emission limits on existing coal-fired power plants.

Seven in ten registered voters (70%) support setting strict carbon dioxide emission limits on existing coal-fired power plants to reduce global warming and improve public health, even if the cost of electricity to consumers and companies would likely increase.

Democrats (88%, 91% of liberal Democrats), Independents (67%) and liberal and moderate Republicans (67%) are all likely to support setting strict limits, however, only 37% of conservative Republicans support such limits.

Conversely, fewer than half of Democrats support the expansion of offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast (42%), while over half of registered voters (58%), including Independents (57%) and Republicans (78%), support it.

5.3. Registered voters, except conservative Republicans, say the U.S. should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of what other countries do.

Most registered voters think the U.S. should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of what other countries do (65%). Most likely to support this position are liberal Democrats (86%), moderate/conservative Democrats (74%), Independents (67%), and liberal/moderate Republicans (60%). Only a minority of conservative Republicans do (39%).

5.4. A majority of registered voters want corporations, industry, and citizens to do more to address global warming.

Across party lines, over half of registered voters say corporations and industry should do “much more” or “more” to address global warming (74% of registered voters; 88% of Democrats, 74% of Independents, and 56% of Republicans).