The Democratic Party-led Washington state Legislature the other day surprised many when it killed cap-and-trade legislation because of fears that voters would oppose a CO2 emission reduction scheme that might hurt the economy and might be vulnerable to "rip-offs."
In covering the story, a Seattle Times reporter dutifully spoke with all the players involved, but concluded his March 16 story with a comment from Clifford Traisman, a lobbyist for the Washington Environmental Council, a group that had strongly supported the bill. After acknowledging why the bill was defeated, Traisman said, "We're changing from a fossil-fuel dependent economy to a carbon-reduction economy. That scares people. Does anyone doubt that we have to do it?"
That’s a very good question. Do people still doubt the need to act against the emission of greenhouse gases, including CO2? With something as big and global and incredibly expensive as substantially reducing C02 emissions is going to be, a great deal of doubt about the need for it would be a problem.
But does society doubt it needs to be done, or not?
At this stage, even after all the alarms that have been sounded, it is hard to know, because the question is hard to ask. We ask the question in an indirect way through elections. But the question is also asked by polling groups. Who is asked, and when they are asked, is also obviously important.
Within the last week two groups have released results of polls or surveys that have been contradictory.
On March 11, Gallup released the results of a poll it said it conducted recently via telephone -- both land-lines and cell -- with 1,012 adults, 18 and older. The most interesting finding was that the number of Americans who think global warming is "already affecting the planet" had fallen from 61% a year ago to 53% this year. Gallup said that the number of people who believe the news media is "exaggerating" the threat of global warming has gone from 30% to 41% over the past two years.
The 41% number "represents the highest level of public skepticism about mainstream reporting on global warming seen in more than a decade of Gallup polling on the subject," the firm said. It observed, however, that the 18-29-year-old group maintained its high level of concern.
Gallup also said that "for the first time in Gallup's 25-year history of asking Americans about the trade-off between environmental protection and economic growth, a majority of Americans say economic growth should be given the priority, even if the environment suffers to some extent."
In contrast, Yale University and George Mason University released the results of a survey their researchers did on the subject. But theirs was done last fall, basically just as the recession was beginning to hit hard.
According to the survey, 92% of the respondents believed the US should act to reduce global warming, with more than 60% saying they believe steps to combat climate change were necessary to provide "a better life for their children and grandchildren and save many plant and animal species from extinction."
The survey -- released five months later because of the strictures of academic work -- said 34% of the 2,164 people asked believe the US should make a "large-scale effort" to reduce carbon emissions, even if it has "large economic costs." Fifty-three percent said they supported the creation of a national cap-and-trade system.
One has to wonder what this survey would show if it were retaken today. This moment -- not last fall -- is the time that Congress is tackling the tough climate change program issues. The lawmakers issuing dire warnings about the cost to consumers are taking the public pulse, and the Gallup numbers may be telling them something.
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