Polling on Christians and Climate
MOST EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS NOW FAVOR FEDERAL CLIMATE LEGISLATION
ELLISON POLL SHOWS WIDESPREAD EVANGELICAL SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS
[PDF version with graphics]
October 11, 2007: A new national poll of evangelical Christians conducted by Ellison Research
indicates strong support for federal legislation to limit the greenhouse gasses that contribute to
global warming. The poll also shows widespread backing among evangelicals for a range of
environmental actions.
84% SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS
Q: Would you favor a bill that would require that by the year 2012 the U.S. would have to reduce global warming
pollution to what they were in the year 2004, and continue reductions so that emissions are one‐third of 2004 levels
by 2050?
34% strongly support
50% somewhat support
10% somewhat oppose
6% strong oppose
70% SUPPORT LEGISLATION EVEN IF IT COSTS $15 A MONTH PER HOUSEHOLD
Q: If this bill cost the average U.S. household $15 a month, would you tend to favor or oppose this bill?
26% would strongly favor
44% would somewhat favor
19% would somewhat oppose
11% would strongly oppose
54% MORE LIKELY TO SUPPORT A CANDIDATE WHO SUPPORTS LEGISLATION TO CURB GLOBAL WARMING; ONLY 10% LESS LIKELY SUPPORT A CANDIDATE WHO SEEKS TO CURB IT
Q: If a political candidate supported public policies that take steps to reduce global warming, what impact would that have on your support of that candidate?
17% much more likely to support this candidate
37% a little more likely to support this candidate
36% no difference in whether you support this candidate
6% a little less likely to support this candidate
4% much less likely to support this candidate
70% BELIEVE GLOBAL WARMING IS A PROBLEM THAT WILL BE A THREAT TO FUTURE GENERATIONS
Q: Do you think the effects of global warming will or will not pose a serious threat to future generations?
70% will pose a serious threat
30% will not pose a serious threat
64% BELIEVE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN NOW TO CURB GLOBAL WARMING
Q: When should global warming be addressed?
64% immediately
10% in the future
11% not at all
15% unsure
89% SAY THE U.S. SHOULD ACT TO CONTROL GLOBAL WARMING EVEN IF OTHER NATIONS DO NOT
89% believe the U.S. should take steps to reduce global warming regardless of whether other major nations are also taking similar steps
11% do not believe the U.S. should take steps to reduce global warming unless other major nations also are taking similar step
77% SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES; ONLY 7% OPPOSED
Q: How would you describe your own position on environmental issues and causes such as reducing air and water pollution, protecting wilderness areas from development or use, reducing global warming, and protecting endangered species?
28% strongly support
49% somewhat support
13% neutral
6% somewhat oppose
1% strongly oppose
3% unsure
64% ARE PUTTING CFLS IN THEIR HOMES
Q: Do you use any compact fluorescent light bulbs in your home, or not? (Those are the ones that last longer but cost more than regular light bulbs.)
64% yes
36% no
62% ARE MORE LIKELY TO BUY FROM COMPANIES WHO OFFER ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS
Q: When companies have products or policies that are environmentally friendly, how does this tend to impact your interest in buying their products or doing business with them?
29% much more likely to purchase products from environmentally friendly companies
33% a little more likely to purchase products from environmentally friendly companies
18% felt this makes no difference to them
3% less likely to purchase products from environmentally friendly companies
17% are not aware of the environmental position of companies
NOTE: This summary is from information gathered during a quantitative research project conducted by Ellison Research for the Evangelical Climate Initiative. This research was conducted through an online survey administered to a representative sample of American adults, using the e-rewards online research panel. Invitations to participate in the study were sent to a demographically balanced selection from the research panel, and qualified respondents completed the questionnaire online. Respondents were qualified if they self‐identified as either a “born again Christian” or an “evangelical Christian” or as both (these terms were included in a broader selection of descriptions, to obscure the qualification questions for the study). The unweighted sample size was 1,036 respondents. The resulting data has a potential sampling error of ±3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.