Saturday, November 06, 2010

More Than 7 Out of 10 Americans Still Want More Federal Research Into Alternative Energy

Two things struck me during my October round-trip cross country.  One, how few billboards there were obscuring the countryside in other states compared to the mess we’ve made of I-40 west through North Carolina and two, the number of highly visible wind turbine farms dotting the horizon  in several states and the great distances from which they were visible.

A new poll conducted in mid-October by the Pew Research Center reveals that the majority of Americans support alternative energy with 74% supporting more funding for alternative energy and 60% supporting tax incentives for buying hybrid or electric vehicles.

The largest majority of 79% favor requiring better fuel efficiency for vehicles including 73% of Republicans.  Three quarters (74%) of all American support increased federal funding for research on alternative energies including 84% of Democrats and 72% of Independents but only 64% of Republicans.

Only 8% of Tea Party Republicans believe global warming is a serious problem about which government should do something compared to 50% who say it’s not a problem and 24% who say it’s not serious.   Overall, 68% of Democrats and 44% of Independents believe global warming requires immediate government action compared to only 24% of Republicans overall.

(FYI- After millions of dollars in campaign ads, primarily anonymous, a new Gallup Poll shows support for the Tea Party movement unchanged among Americans over the past year at 26% with 27% opposed and the remainder neutral.  More than 8 in 10 who oppose it believe the movement has made the country more divided politically and 44% of Tea Party supporters agree.)

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