Thursday, August 09, 2012

Survey: Calif Minorities Want Action On Global Warming Now

A large majority of California’s adult African Americans and Latinos want the state government to start reducing greenhouse gases and emissions immediately rather than wait for the economy and the jobs picture to improve, a new statewide survey found.  The Public Policy Institute of California on Tuesday released the survey, “Californians and the Environment.” Among ethnic groups surveyed, Latinos and African Americans show the most support for immediate state action against global warming, 74 percent and 55 percent respectively, while non-Latino whites and Asians agreed at a rate of 46 percent and 45 percent respectively.

And despite economic difficulties, minority communities also show overwhelming support for the law requiring the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels by the year 2020.
Asians, blacks and Latinos supported the emissions reduction law by 82 percent, 74 percent and 82 percent respectively, while 61 of percent non-Latino whites surveyed said they back the law.

Moreover, 42 percent of California adults believe that efforts to curb global warming will create more jobs for people around the state. Up to 63 percent of blacks and 50 percent of Asians think so.

While nearly half of all adults view air pollution as a serious health threat, ethnic minorities showed the most concern over air pollution and are most aware that the health threat is more serious in lower-income areas than in other areas.

The survey shows that advocates need to better educate their communities on other environmental policy issues. While 56 percent of non-Latino whites have heard of the government’s “cap and trade” policy to set limits on carbon dioxide emissions, awareness of the policy among Asians, Latinos and African Americans is below 40 percent.
Most of California's environmental justice groups opposed the Cap and Trade portion of California's global warming law.  AAEA supports the Cap and Trade regulations. (New America Media, 8/8/2012)

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