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Americans Want Clean Energy, Not More Oil to Solve Energy Crisis
New Polling Shows That Most Americans Believe Now Is The Time For Clean Energy Investments
WASHINGTON (December 3, 2008) -- A large majority (72 percent) of Americans believe that our country has the technology to move from its reliance on oil and other dirty fuels to support investments in clean, smart energy choices, according to new polling data released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
“The American public understands that clean energy solutions are available right now,” said Dr. Dan Lashof, Director of the Climate Center at NRDC. “As new leadership arrives in Washington, it is clear that Americans are looking for innovative energy solutions that will end our dependence on oil, create millions of jobs and solve global warming.”
Some of the survey’s notable findings include:
- 84 percent believe that higher gas prices mean we need to move away from our dependence on oil and toward renewable energy and energy efficiency.
- 77 percent believe we are capable of developing energy alternatives to reduce our economy’s dependence on oil and gas.
- 72 percent believe we already have the technology to do this.
“When people are presented with a variety of energy choices, Americans want investment in clean, renewable energy to stabilize our costs and create a more sustainable future,” said Dr. Lashof. “These solutions -- like the wind, sun, and Earth’s natural heat -- are available and Americans want us to start using them now.”
The survey examined Americans’ views toward a number of policies to address the country’s energy crisis, and a majority of Americans - even during a time of record gas prices - stated the following would make a “great deal of difference” in solving our energy problems:
- Improving fuel efficiency to an average of 50 miles per gallon (68 percent).
- Investing in renewable energy such as wind, solar, and geothermal energy (68 percent).
- Building more wind farms (64 percent).
- Improving home efficiency (61 percent).
A telephone survey was conducted by Belden Russonello and Stewart in October. The survey interviewed 800 adults and has a margin of error of 3.2 percent: http://docs.nrdc.org/energy/ene_08120301.asp
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.3 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing.
Find Your Favorite NRDC website
- Global Warming & Energy:
- Beat the Heat
- Activism:
- Save BioGems
- NRDC Action Fund
- Ocean Protection:
- Your Oceans
- Green, Healthy Living:
- Simple Steps
- Smarter Cities
- This Green Life
- Green Paws
- NRDC Cool Sites:
- It's Your Nature
- GreenDay+NRDC
- For Kids:
- Green Squad