National Climate Poll Highlights
Near Unanimity on the Need to Take Action
- 96% of Americans say that individuals should take personal action to conserve energy and protect the environment.
Americans Willing to Take Huge Steps if it Would Have Positive Environmental Impact
- 70% would install energy efficient light bulbs. This action would prevent the emission of 72.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide every year.
- Nearly half of Americans (49%) would drive 20 miles less per week. This would prevent the emission of 87 billion pounds of carbon dioxide every year.
- 43% would even eat one less beef meal a week. This would save 5 trillion gallons of water, 8.5 billion pounds of grain, and prevent the emission of 37 billion pounds of carbon dioxide every year.
Americans Willing To Do More To Conserve
- Almost two-thirds of Americans (64%) said they would do more to conserve energy and protect the environment if they felt their individual actions would have a measurable positive impact on the environment.
- 57% would do more if they thought it would teach kids an important lesson.
Time Not a Big Factor
- Only slightly more than two in five (43%) said they would do more to conserve energy and protect the environment if they had more time.
Government Gets Low Marks on Environmental Leadership
- Only 38% of Americans said they trust government to provide leadership on energy conservation and environmental protection.
- By contrast, 56% said they trust individuals to provide leadership.
- Power utilities and businesses fared worse than government on the leadership issue, receiving 33% and 29% support, respectively.
National Poll Commissioned by the Center for a New American Dream and conducted from July 26-29, 2001 by Opinion Research Corporation International. The survey was administered by phone to 1000 adults nationally. Findings from the survey have a margin of error of +/- 3% with a 95% level of confidence.