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.
Executive Summary
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.
Interview dates: May 14, 2010 – June 1, 2010
Interviews: 1,024 Adults (18+)
Margin of error: +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
NOTE: All results show percentages among all respondents, unless otherwise labeled. Totals may
occasionally sum to more than 100 percent due to rounding.
This study was conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the George
Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication, and was funded by the Surdna
Foundation, the Eleventh Hour Project, the Pacific Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation.
Principal Investigators:
Anthony Leiserowitz, PhD
Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University
(203) 432-4865 [email protected]
Edward Maibach, MPH, PhD
Center for Climate Change Communication
Department of Communication, George Mason University
(703) 993-1587 [email protected]
Connie Roser-Renouf, PhD
Center for Climate Change Communication
Department of Communication, George Mason University
(707) 825-0601 [email protected]
Nicholas Smith, PhD
Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University
(203) 432-1208 [email protected]
Cite as: Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C. & Smith, N. (2010) Climate change in the
American Mind: Public support for climate & energy policies in June 2010. Yale University and George
Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication.
http://environment.yale.edu/climate/files/PolicySupportJune2010.pdf