A national survey of Americans’ support and opposition to climate and energy policies. The survey was fielded from May 14 to June 1, 2010 with a nationally representative sample of 1,024 adults, using the online research panel of Knowledge Networks.
The report includes measures of overall public support for specific policies, a breakdown by political party, and how public support has changed since January, 2010 and November, 2008. A few highlights and changes since January, 2010:
- 87 percent support funding more research into renewable energy sources (+2)
- 83 percent support tax rebates for people who buy fuel-efficient vehicles and solar panels (+1)
- 77 percent support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant (+6)
- 65 percent support signing an international treaty that requires the United States to cut its emissions of carbon dioxide 90 percent by the year 2050 (+4)
- 61 percent support requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources, even if it cost the average household an extra $100 a year (+2)
- Conversely, support for expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast fell 5 points, to 62 percent.