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Americans show support for clean energy in polls

New polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support political efforts to reduce the effects of greenhouse gases, with most agreeing that climate change is an important issue that needs immediate attention, according to Consumer Energy Report.

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Toby Melville/Reuters/File
The full moon sets behind a wind farm in the Mojave Desert in California in this January 2004 file photo. New polls suggest that an overwhelming majority of Americans support clean energy efforts.
  • By CER News Desk Guest blogger

With sustainability and clean energy both hot topics nearing the end of the presidential campaign, pollsters are hitting up citizens from around the United States in order to see where the general population stands on those subjects and their relation to climate change.

The results show that Americans overwhelmingly support political efforts to reduce the effects of greenhouse gases, with most agreeing that climate change is an important issue that needs immediate attention.

One poll, conducted by independent firm Hart Research Associates, took in the opinions of 1,206 adults from across the country with widely varying political views, finding that 92 percent of them believe that it is “very important” or “somewhat important” for the United States to further develop solar power in order to achieve sustainability. (See more: First Solar May Supply World’s Largest Solar Farm) 

Another poll, this one investigating not only attitudes towards climate change, but the political affiliation of those attitudes, found that 7 percent of voters remain undecided, with most of those people reporting that climate change will be one of several key factors that will determine which candidate gets their vote next month.

In an effort to explore the relation between attitudes towards climate change and location on the political spectrum, the poll’s findings indicate that 86 percent of Obama supporters believe that human-caused global warming is a reality, compared to only 45 percent of Romney supporters, suggesting that most of that undecided 7 percent could end up voting for the current president to take office for a second term. (See more:U.S. Oil Production Surges to Highest Level in 15 Years)

While climate change and sustainable energies haven’t been at the forefront of the presidential campaign thus far, the topics have seen greater exposure in the past few weeks as the Republican party made an effort to block government-offered financial incentives for the solar power industry even as President Obama was put under increased pressure to approve the Keystone XL pipeline that would allow oil extracted from Canada’s oil sands to be transported to the United States.

Source: Polls Show Overwhelming Support for Clean Energy and Climate Action

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