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What's on California's Mind? A Statewide Survey Quiz

By Gary A. Patton
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is "a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research" that provides valuable insight into the policy preferences of the California citizenry through its statewide surveys. The PCL is pleased to announce that the PPIC just released a report on its Statewide Survey on the Environment which summarizes the responses of 2,500 California adults to questions regarding:

-- global warming and energy
-- air quality and health
-- environmental politics and policy preferences

Think you know how your fellow Californians think? Take this quiz based on the PPIC Statewide Survey on the Environment results and see how you do.

1. Percent of Californians who think global warming poses a very serious threat to the state's economy and quality of life (vs. "somewhat serious," "not too serious," or "not at all serious")
a. 32%
b. 45%
c. 50%
d. 54%

If you guessed (d) you're right! Over half of all Californians think global warming poses a very serious threat...all while a few senate republicans are trying to pretend it isn't happening.

2. Percent of Californians who favor the state law that requires California to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels by the year 2020 (vs."oppose" or "don't know")

a. 28%
b. 42%
c. 60%
d. 78%

(d) -- nearly 80% of the state's residents support the state's effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels. How can we reach that goal if we give developers a free pass for increased emissions from new projects?

3. Percent of Californians who think it is necessary to take steps to counter the effects of global warming right away (vs. "not necessary yet" or "don't know").

a. 62%
b. 68%
c. 74%
d. 81%

Note: Two individuals in the survey responded "neither, never necessary" to this question. Looks like they haven't been reading PCL's articles here!

Again the answer is (d)! Sounds to us like a strong call for action, not for the inaction that's being bargained for in the budget process.

4. Percent of Californians who favor the state making its own policies (separate from the federal government) to address global warming (vs. "oppose" or "don't know")

a. 39%
b. 55%
c. 62%
d. 67%

Just over two-thirds of Californians favor the state taking action -- answer (d). Could this be because the federal government does things like, oh, pushing for exemptions to key environmental laws, thus making our problems worse?

5. Percent of Californians who approve of Governor Schwarzenegger's handling of state environmental issues/overall job performance (vs. "disapprove of" or "don't know")

a. 38%/49%
b. 47%/52%
c. 52%/47%
d. 55%/45%

See, this one is hard...a few months ago, you might have said, (d) and you'd have been right. Not now...the Governor currently has just a 47% approval rating on environmental issues. Wonder how much lower it would go if he backed the republicans' sneak attack on CEQA?

See the full survey report for complete details.

Gary Patton is the Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League, a statewide, nonprofit lobbying organization. For more than thirty years, PCL has fought to develop a body of environmental laws in California that is the best in the United States. PCL staff review virtually every environmental bill that comes before the California Legislature each year. It has testified in support or opposition of thousands of bills to strengthen California's environmental laws and fight off rollbacks of environmental protections.

Posted on July 30, 2007

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