Poll Finds Support for Addressing Global Warming
According to the poll results, 40 percent of the American public believes that efforts to reduce global warming pollution would create jobs, and 46 percent believe that addressing climate change would boost the economy. Less than one in three said taking steps to address global warming would hurt the economy and mean fewer jobs.
In addition, three in four say they would support some kind of climate change legislation. But they are unwilling to spend their own money to make it happen: a majority, 59 percent, said they would not support a cap-and-trade bill if it meant having to pay $10 more for electricity each month.
The White House and Democrats in Congress are working to craft a bill to curb emissions, potentially through a so-called cap-and-trade mechanism, and world leaders are currently gathered in Copenhagen to address the issue on an international level. Many in the GOP maintain that climate change legislation would compromise America's economic competitiveness.
"If President Obama has his way, the Copenhagen conference will produce mandatory emissions limits that would destroy millions of American jobs and damage our economic competitiveness for decades to come," Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told the AP.
These poll results contrast with a CBS News/New York Times poll released yesterday which showed that only 37 percent of Americans believe that global warming should be a priority for government leaders.
That was a significant decrease from April, when 52 percent said they believed the issue should be a priority.