Survey: Westerners Want Clean Cars

By Matthew Frank, 7-30-08

	Caption: Click the image for a PDF of the survey results

A majority of voters in seven Western states are concerned that gas prices will continue to rise unless urgent action is taken to reduce oil consumption and global warming emissions, according to a survey released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) Tuesday.

On gas prices and oil independence:

• Very large majorities of respondents are concerned with gas prices now (94%), gas prices in the future (93%), US dependency on oil (94%) and lack of a plan to transition from oil (89%).

• 91% of respondents say it’s important for the country to end its dependence on oil.

• The price of gas has caused a hardship for respondents. Only 18% said the price of gas has not caused a financial hardship.

• 63% of respondents are likely to be shopping for an alternative fuel vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or a vehicle that gets higher gas mileage on their next vehicle purchase.

• Two thirds of respondents (63%) support new fees on oil companies to be used for improving public transportation to make it inexpensive, convenient, safe and fast.

On greenhouse gas pollution:

• Respondents strongly support their state taking action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution:
  - 92% support developing clean alternative fuels
  - 88% support requiring less polluting cars
  - 81% support requiring cleaner fuels

• Respondents support taking action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution if it would result in reducing air pollution (88%) or result in reducing dependency on oil (86%).

• Respondents agree (84%) that cars, trucks and other transportation sources should be required to reduce their pollution the same as power plants and factories.

On solutions:

• Respondents do not feel that gas prices are going to come down (60% say they won’t), but even if they do come down, 95% say we need to act now to avoid a future crisis. 83% say gas prices will continue to rise unless we take action to make our cars and trucks run on less gas or alternative fuels or electricity.

“Voters are demanding that their state leaders move further and faster to reduce our dependence on oil and the global warming emissions that dependency produces,” said Patricia Monahan, deputy director for UCS’ Clean Vehicles, who presented the poll results at the last public stakeholder meeting of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) in San Diego, CA. “Our survey found that Westerners astutely understand the need to transition from oil to clean, renewable fuels to avoid a future crisis triggered by escalating gas prices.”

Click here to download a PDF summary of the survey results, here for a complete story in the Salt Lake Tribune.