WASHINGTON
— On Wednesday, November 3rd leading environmental groups applauded the
defeat of Proposition 23. The groups also released an election poll
illustrating that voters continue to support clean energy and climate
policies and look to the 112th Congress to further transition the U.S.
to a clean energy economy that creates jobs, reduces pollution and
increases national security.
"In
the one race where the words 'global warming' were literally on the
ballot, voters overwhelmingly voted for clean energy, and did so in a
state with the country's third highest unemployment rate, because they
recognize that transitioning to a clean energy future is a path towards
renewed economic prosperity. At the congressional level, we are of
course disappointed that many of our friends were defeated, but it is
clear that this election was about larger macro issues. Incumbents who
voted for and against comprehensive energy and climate legislation
lost. However, despite these strong headwinds, several climate change
deniers running for Senate were defeated, while other clean energy
champions are returning and were newly elected," said Gene Karpinski,
President of the League of Conservation Voters.
The
defeat of Proposition 23 was propelled by an unprecedented coalition of
clean tech companies, public health advocates, community organizations,
environmental activists and others.
"We
have no intention of ceding America's future to Big Oil. Our biggest
victory against them and corporate polluters in the country was the
defeat of California's Proposition 23. A broad coalition of clean tech
companies, small businesses, public health advocates, social justice
groups, environmental organizations, organized labor, seniors and young
people, Republicans and Democrats, all worked in tandem to continue our
path toward a clean energy future. We are confident that over the next
several years we will make significant progress at the federal, state
and local levels to build a clean energy economy made in America," said
Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club
"From
Delaware to Nevada, extremist Senate candidates rejecting climate
science on behalf of their Big Oil funders lost states they were
supposed to win," said Sue Brown, executive director of the National
Wildlife Federation Action Fund. "Voters instead supported candidates
working for clean energy solutions that create jobs, make America more
energy independent, and cut pollution."
The
new poll by the Greenberg Quinlan Rosner was conducted nationally
November 1st-2nd and surveyed 1000 voters in 83 battleground districts.
Among the topline findings of the poll are:
- Members'
support
for the American Clean Energy & Security Act did not
contribute to their defeat.
- Despite
a
strongly
Republican leaning electorate, battleground voters trusted
the Democrat more than the Republican when it comes to energy.
- A
majority
supports
comprehensive energy reform. When presented with a
comprehensive clean energy plan, battleground voters preferred the
clean energy plan by a 16 percent margin.
- By
a
considerable
22 percent margin, battleground voters believe the
Environmental Protection Agency should regulate emissions of greenhouse
gases.
- By
a
huge
41 percent margin, voters believe "we need to hold corporations
accountable for their pollution," rejecting the argument that "we
should not impose new regulations that will hurt businesses."
The poll memo can be found here:
http://www.lcv.org/polls/nov2010energypoll.pdf
"There
was no mandate on turning back the clock on environmental protection.
Polls galore show continued and strong public support for making
continued progress to protect our health and boost our economy," said
Heather Taylor-Miesle, director of the NRDC Action Fund. "Americans
want us to unleash our ingenuity to develop clean-energy alternatives
while combating climate change."
"As
sure as the sun rises in the East, America is going to continue moving
forward on the clean energy economy and strong environmental
protection," said Anna Aurilio, Director, Washington DC Office,
Environment America. "The next Congress will have to decide if it is
going to be responsive to science, innovation and public support or if
it will simply focus on payback to big oil and the polluter lobby that
funded so many of its campaigns."
"Those
who predicted a large turnover of House and Senate seats were right.
Those who predicted that a vote for climate change legislation would be
a significant factor in that turnover were wrong. In fact, the issue
was rarely mentioned during election coverage and roughly the same
percentage of incumbent Senate Democrats lost their seats as incumbent
House Democrats with no climate change vote in the Senate. This was an
election about unhappiness over the economy, first and last. And the
majority paid the price," said Rodger Schlickeisen, President,
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund
"In
some of the closer races where our endorsed candidates seem to have
bucked the national trend, we backed up our emphasis on clean energy
issues with on-the-ground, person-to-person campaigning," said Clean
Water Action's National Campaigns Coordinator, Lynn Thorp. "In
California and Virginia's still too-close-to-call 11th District
contests, for example, our pro-environment voters may well have
delivered the winning difference."
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