Republicans, Independents and Democrats agree that the United States should move away from its reliance on dirty energy sources that cause climate change, and instead move to clean energy sources, according to a major new ORC International survey conducted for the Civil Society Institute (CSI) and released today in Maryland, DC, and Virginia by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
Research results indicated that a majority of Americans support federal and state investments in clean energy projects and energy efficiency, and they agree that the fossil fuel industry is willfully holding back efforts to build a new clean-energy economy. Findings also indicated that a growing number of Americans are concerned about the negative impacts associated with the “fracking” process of natural gas drilling.
In releasing the research, Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said: “The verdict of this new survey is clear: the majority of Americans agree that our country needs to make a rapid switch to clean energy sources like wind and solar. We are not the ‘fringe’ minority that fossil fuel companies make us out to be. Average Americans understand that in the face of rapidly advancing global warming – and the extreme weather that comes with it – there’s simply no reason why our leaders can’t come together to hammer out an energy policy that will protect our children’s future.”
Pam Solo, founder and president of the Civil Society Institute , said: “Our new survey is a clarion call to action: Americans think that it is time for decisive action toward a renewable energy future that will protect public health and provide reliable and cost effective energy.”
Conducted March 22-25, 2012, the new ORC International survey of 1,019 Americans shows that:
The survey also included findings specific to fracking, which has arisen as a major issue across Maryland and Virginia.
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Offshore WIND staff, May 01, 2012