Contact: Steven Kull of the Program on International Policy Attitudes, 202-232-7500 WASHINGTON, June 25 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Eighty-one percent of Americans polled said that they support the targets of the legislation, commonly known as the McCain-Lieberman legislation or the Climate Stewardship Act, which calls for large companies to reduce their emissions to year 2000 levels by 2010 and to 1990 levels by 2020. When told it has been estimated that this would increase costs to the average American household by about $15 a month, 67 percent still said they would support it. If a candidate would support the legislation, 52 percent said this would increase their likelihood of voting for him or her, while just 14 percent said that it would decrease the likelihood (no effect: 32 percent). These are some of the findings of a new PIPA-Knowledge Networks poll of 753 Americans nationwide conducted June 8-14 (margin of error plus or minus 3.6 percent). Other highlights include:
A 62 percent majority opposes the idea, included in the McCain-Lieberman legislation, of permitting companies to trade greenhouse gas emission allowances (known as cap and trade). But a modest majority did find the arguments in support of the idea convincing, suggesting opposition is not deep-seated.
Seventy-five percent supported providing tax incentives to utility companies to encourage them to sell environmentally clean energy, and 80 percent favored giving cash incentives like tax credits and rebates to individual households that upgrade to more energy-efficient appliances.
Eighty-two percent favored requiring car manufacturers to meet higher fuel efficiency standards. When asked next What if that meant it would cost more to own or lease a car? 63 percent still said they would favor higher fuel efficiency standards. Seventy-one percent favored that by 2010, half of all new cars produced are hybrid-electric or some other type that is very fuel-efficient.
Americans overestimate how much their elected representatives support the Kyoto Treaty. Two-thirds (64 percent) said they would want their member of Congress to support the Kyoto Treaty. Fifty-eight percent assume that their member of Congress would vote for Kyoto, 46 percent assume that the majority of Congress would vote for it, and only 48 percent are aware President Bush does not favor it.
To view the full analysis/press release and questionnaire, see http://www.pipa.org
http://www.usnewswire.com/
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