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Majority of Americans Want Local Action on Global Warming
Majority of Americans Want Local Action on Global Warming
Published 10-03-07
Submitted by GfK Custom Research North America
NEW YORK, NY - October 2, 2007 - GfK Public Affairs and Media, a division of GfK Custom Research North America and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies today released the first installment of a new quarterly survey called the GfK Roper/Yale Survey on Environmental Issues. The first of its kind to measure public opinion of local government-led green initiatives, the survey found that a majority of Americans support a variety of city and local climate change policies to minimize the effects of global warming.
According to the study, nearly three quarters of Americans (74%) would support local regulations requiring all newly constructed homes to be more energy efficient, even when told that this policy would increase the initial cost of a new home by roughly $7,500, while saving approximately $17,500 in utility bills over 30 years.
Saving energy and money on utility bills is also one of the bonuses that motivated seven in ten Americans (72%) to support local subsidies to encourage homeowners to install electricity-generating solar panels on existing homes, even when told that this initiative would cost households an extra $5 per month in increased property taxes.
A majority of Americans would also support the following local climate change policies:
Initiatives that received greater opposition than support from respondents include changing city zoning rules to promote apartment building construction rather than single-family homes (57% oppose, 38% support) and a ten-cent city or local fee added to each gallon of gas purchased to encourage people to use less fuel (64% oppose, 34% support).
"Seven in ten Americans want their local governments to do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," explains Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz of Yale University. "City and local leaders are critical players in the effort to reduce global warming and it's clear that their constituents want action. The public is on board and willing to help foot the bill. All that's left to do now is act."
Findings in the first GfK Roper/Yale Survey on Environmental Issues are culled from two national telephone surveys of Americans, ages 18 and over, conducted from September 21-23 (n=1,004) and September 28-30, 2007 (n=1,005) as part of GfK Roper’s weekly OMNITEL telephone omnibus service. The sample is drawn from random digit dialing (RDD) probability samples of all telephone households in the continental United States. Data were weighted to match national norms (derived from the Current Population Survey) on sex, age, region, and education. Topline findings are projectable at the 95% confidence level to the total adult continental U.S. population within an average +/- 3 percentage point margin of error.
Full results are available at: http://environment.yale.edu/news/5323/.
About GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media
GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media is a division of GfK Custom Research, North America. The division specializes in customized public opinion polling, media & communications research, and corporate reputation measurement -- in the US and globally. In addition to delivering a broad range of customized research studies, GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media draws from GfK's syndicated consumer tracking services, Roper Reports® US and Roper Reports® Worldwide, which monitor consumer values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors in the US and 30 other countries.
About GfK Custom Research North America
Headquartered in New York, GfK Custom Research North America is part of the GfK Group. With home offices in Nuremberg, Germany, the GfK Group is the No. 5 market research organization worldwide. Its activities cover five business divisions: Custom Research, Retail and Technology, Consumer Tracking, Media and HealthCare. The Group has 115 operational companies and a current total of 8,400 employees who offer market research services for 90 countries.
About The Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
The Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies is a graduate and professional school that provides teaching, research and outreach in broad areas of environmental science, policy and management to some 200 candidates for master's degrees and 75 doctoral students. For more information, visit http://environment.yale.edu.
GfK Custom Research North America
GfK Custom Research North America
Headquartered in New York, GfK Custom Research North America is part of the GfK Group, the world's fourth largest market research company. GfK Custom Research North America combines the global resources of the GfK Group with the local knowledge of North America's leading fact-based consultancies. Beyond our sector-specific experts, specialty practice areas and research center for excellence, we deliver unmatched knowledge designed to help your business grow. By offering access to several of the world's largest databases combined with a full-range of ad-hoc research services, we deliver proven, state-of-the-art solutions developed from a 360° view of your market, including our annual GfK Roper Green Gauge® study, which provides insights into consumer attitudes toward environmental issues.
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