{"id":535258,"date":"2010-04-20T09:25:51","date_gmt":"2010-04-20T13:25:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/?p=23207"},"modified":"2010-04-20T09:25:51","modified_gmt":"2010-04-20T13:25:51","slug":"new-polls-show-latinos-and-african-americans-support-bipartisan-climate-and-clean-energy-jobs-bill-and-are-more-likely-to-vote-for-senate-candidate-who-supports-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/535258","title":{"rendered":"New polls show Latinos and African Americans support bipartisan climate and clean energy jobs bill &#8211; And are more likely to vote for Senate candidate who supports action"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Poll after poll shows that the <a title=\"Permanent Link to Memo to policymakers: Public  STILL favors the transition to clean energy\" rel=\"bookmark\" href=\"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/2010\/03\/18\/memo-to-policymakers-public-still-favors-the-transition-to-clean-energy\/\">general public STILL favors the  transition to clean energy<\/a>.\u00a0 Two new polls show that the majority of African Americans and Latinos believe that switching to clean energy will create jobs and keep the economy strong while also combating climate change.\u00a0 CAP Energy  Opportunity intern Sarah Collins has the story.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-23207\"><\/span>Not only do majorities of the polled groups feel that global warming is a serious problem that needs addressing, but majorities of both <a href=\"http:\/\/latinocoalitiononclimatechange.org\/news\/latino_voters_in_key_states_want_action_on_global_warming_will_vote_on_climate\/\">Latino<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jointcenter.org\/index.php\/news_room\/press_releases\/new_study_on_climate_change_attitudes\">African American<\/a> participants also say they will vote on climate in 2010.\u00a0 African Americans were polled in Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, and South Carolina, while Latinos were polled in Colorado, Florida, and Nevada \u2013 all key states in the upcoming 2010 midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p>On April 15<sup>th<\/sup>, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.latinocoalitiononclimatechange.org\/\">National Latino Coalition on Climate Change<\/a> (NLCCC) and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jointcenter.org\/index.php\/news_room\/press_releases\/leaders_kick_off_commission_to_engage_african_americans_on_climate_change\">Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change<\/a> (CEAACC), a project of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, held a joint briefing at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center to release new findings in the report \u201cResults of Multi-state Opinion Polls of African American and Latino Communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of the total 900 Latinos polled, findings <a href=\"http:\/\/latinocoalitiononclimatechange.org\/NLCCC%20POLL%20RELEASE-%20Opinion%20of%20Latino%20Voters%20on%20Energy%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf\">include<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Overwhelming majorities of Latino voters in Florida      (80%), Nevada (67%) and Colorado (58%) say they are more likely      to vote for a U.S. Senate candidate that supports proposals for fighting      global warming. Virtually no one is less likely.<\/li>\n<li>About three out of four Latino voters in Florida      (76%) and Nevada (74%), and about two out      of three voters in Colorado      (64%), consider global warming very or somewhat serious. Three out of four      Latino voters in each state say Congress should take action now.<\/li>\n<li>By about three to one, Latino voters in these states say switching to      a clean energy economy will mean more U.S.      jobs (66% in Florida, 72% in Nevada, 64% in Colorado). Over 8 out of 10 voters in      each state reject the idea that fighting global warming will hurt the      American economy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Of the total 2000 African Americans polled, findings <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jointcenter.org\/publications_recent_publications\/environmental_projects\/opinion_of_african_americans_on_climate_change_and_2010_midterm_elections_the_results_of_a_multi_state_poll\">include<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In      every state, three out of four respondents said climate change was either      very or somewhat important in choosing a U.S. Senator \u2013 and in Arkansas      and South Carolina, a majority said it was very important.<\/li>\n<li>About      9 out of 10 African Americans in all four states support government      investment in green jobs, and even more support green vocational      educational programs to help prepare students for green jobs.<\/li>\n<li>60% said they wanted the      climate change bill to pass in the Senate before midterm elections<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Communities of color are considered particularly vulnerable<ins datetime=\"2010-04-15T17:50\" cite=\"mailto:slyon\"> <\/ins>to climate change because they have fewer available institutional resources to adapt.\u00a0 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s proposed endangerment finding, from April 2009, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.epa.gov\/climatechange\/endangerment\/downloads\/RTC%20Volume%208.pdf\">explains<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>Within settlements experiencing climate change stressors, certain parts of the population may be especially vulnerable based on their circumstances.\u00a0 These include the poor, the elderly, the very young, those already in poor health, the disabled, those living alone, those with limited rights and power (such as recent immigrants with limited English skills), and\/or indigenous populations dependent on one or a few resources.<\/p>\n<p>In response to these inequities, the Commission <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jointcenter.org\/publications1\/publication-PDFs\/Climate%20Change%20Principles_June_2009_FINAL.pdf\">recommends<\/a> that, in order to ensure that the needs of colored communities are address in climate legislation, we must \u201caddressing the impacts of climate change on the most impacted and disadvantaged communities, promote green jobs and economic opportunity, and ensure the protection of low-income communities.\u201d\u00a0 Further recommendations, as outlined by the NLCCC, involve providing consumer relief to vulnerable families to offset the loss of purchasing power, expanding employment and training to prepare for the clean energy economy, and reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions by increasing transportation options.<\/p>\n<p>These polls underscore other recent survey research findings: that, even faced with conservative and mainstream media attacks on climate science, Americans <a href=\"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/2009\/12\/18\/public-opinion-stunner-washpost-abc-poll-finds-strong-support-for-global-warming-reductions-despite-relentless-big-oil-and-anti-science-attacks\/\">still support<\/a> comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation.\u00a0 As <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aabe.org\/index.php?component=pages&amp;id=25\">Frank M. Stewart<\/a>, President and COO of American Association of Blacks in Energy and Member of the Commission, noted in his opening remarks at the briefing, \u201cclimate change is both immediate and important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For these reasons and many more, Congress must act in 2010 to create jobs, cut carbon pollution, and speed the transition to a clean energy economy.<\/p>\n<p><em>JR:\u00a0 I\u2019d add that pretty much every major poll in the past six  months makes  clear that the public supports climate and energy  legislation because it  achieves multiple benefits, including  reducing  greenhouse gas emissions:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"Permanent Link to Swing state poll finds 60% \u201cwould be   more likely to vote for their senator if he or she supported the bill\u201d   and Independents support the bill 2-to-1\" rel=\"bookmark\" href=\"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/2009\/09\/02\/swing-state-poll-clean-energy-climate-bill-aces-independents\/\">Swing   state poll finds 60% \u201cwould be more likely to vote for their senator  if  he or she supported the bill\u201d and Independents support the bill  2-to-1<\/a> (9\/09)<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Permanent Link to New CNN poll finds \u201cnearly six in 10   independents\u201d support cap-and-trade\" rel=\"bookmark\" href=\"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/2009\/10\/27\/pew-poll-public-supports-moving-forward-on-climate-and-clean-energy\/\">New   CNN poll finds \u201cnearly six in 10 independents\u201d support cap-and-trade<\/a> (10\/09)<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Permanent Link to Voters in Ohio, Michigan and Missouri   overwhelmingly support action on clean energy and global warming\" rel=\"bookmark\" href=\"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/2009\/11\/09\/voters-in-key-states-poll-support-clean-energy-global-warming-bill\/\">Voters   in Ohio, Michigan and Missouri overwhelmingly support action on clean   energy and global warming<\/a> (11\/09)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/2009\/12\/15\/overwhelming-us-public-support-for-global-warming-action\/\">Overwhelming   US Public Support for Global Warming Action<\/a> (12\/09)<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Permanent Link to Public Opinion Stunner:  WashPost-ABC   Poll Finds Strong Support for Global Warming Reductions Despite   Relentless Big Oil and Anti-Science Attacks\" rel=\"bookmark\" href=\"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/2009\/12\/18\/public-opinion-stunner-washpost-abc-poll-finds-strong-support-for-global-warming-reductions-despite-relentless-big-oil-and-anti-science-attacks\/\">Public   Opinion Stunner: WashPost-ABC Poll Finds Strong Support for Global   Warming Reductions Despite Relentless Big Oil and Anti-Science Attacks<\/a> (12\/09)<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Permanent Link to It\u2019s all about Independents \u2014 and   Independence\" rel=\"bookmark\" href=\"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/2010\/01\/20\/independents-clean-energy-independence-climate-bill-polls\/\">It\u2019s   all about Independents \u2014 and Independence<\/a> (1\/10)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/2010\/02\/10\/polls-public-support-for-clean-energy-and-global-temperatures\/\">Yale:\u00a0   When asked whether they \u201csupport or oppose regulation carbon  dioxide\u2026as  pollutant,\u201d 73 percent said yes, with only 27 percent  opposed,  including 61 percent of Republicans<\/a> (2\/10)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Poll after poll shows that the general public STILL favors the transition to clean energy.\u00a0 Two new polls show that the majority of African Americans and Latinos believe that switching to clean energy will create jobs and keep the economy strong while also combating climate change.\u00a0 CAP Energy Opportunity intern Sarah Collins has the story. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-535258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=535258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535258\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=535258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=535258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=535258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}