A new PPIC poll on Californians’ environmental values highlights residents’ support for policies that curb global warming, but also shows a split between those who want action now versus those who urge waiting for the economy to improve.

Some key findings of the poll:

Most residents (66%) support the 2006 California law (AB 32) that requires greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020. Support has declined 7 points from July 2008 (73%) and 12 points from 2007 (78%). The decline is sharpest among Republicans (57% 2008, 43% today).

While most see global warming as a threat (47% very serious, 28% somewhat serious) to the economy and quality of life in the state, the percentage of residents who categorize the threat as very serious has declined over the past two years (54% 2007, 52% 2008, 47% today.) Residents are divided over whether the state government should take action to reduce emissions right away (48%) or wait until the economy and state budget situation improve (46%). In July 2008, when the plan to implement AB 32 was being discussed, a majority (57%) said the government should adopt it right away rather than wait (36%).

In this tough economy, it’s clear that families care deeply about pocketbook issues. It’s also clear that dirty fossil fuel industries, like oil and coal, have spent millions to exploit those concerns in their attempts to derail progress towards clean energy solutions.

But our dependence on fossil fuels got us into this mess and any delay in creating clean energy solutions only guarantees more economic and environmental damage. Many reputable studies show that economic solutions to climate change, such as clean energy programs, provide more and better jobs.

Over the last 35 years, California’s energy efficiency laws have saved families $56 billion in savings and created 1.5 million jobs with a payroll of $45 billion. A strong economy and slowing climate change are compatible goals.

Good sources for this data include:
• “Energy Efficiency, Innovation, and Job Creation” Next 10, October 2008, David Roland-Holst
• “The Clean Energy Economy,” The Pew Charitable Trusts, June 2009
• “Global Warming Solutions,” NRDC, 2009

A few key facts (from Next 10 report), on how a clean energy economy is good for California:

• The proposed policies in California’s Draft Scoping Plan continues the state legacy of efficiency-driven job growth, achieving 100 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets mandated by AB 32 while increasing the Gross State Product (GSP) by about $76 billion, increasing real household incomes by up to $48 billion and creating as many as 403,000 new efficiency and climate action driven jobs.
• By revenue, energy is the world’s largest industry, and energy efficiency can become to this sector what IT was to management, biotech to medicine, a way to revolutionize traditional practices and increase real living standards around the world.