PoliticsHurricanesPolitics global warming

Pre-Hurricane Poll Finds Americans Ready To Deal With Climate Change

Most Americans Get The Climate Change Picture
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Even before Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the East Coast Monday night, climate scientists were warning that tropical storms and hurricanes could become -- or are becoming -- more frequent and severe as a result of climate change. A recent HuffPost/YouGov poll shows that most Americans think humans are at least one contributor to climate change and that most support new environmental standards on vehicles and coal plants designed in part to combat greenhouse gases.

The survey -- which was conducted Oct. 24-25, before Hurricane Sandy hit -- found that 32 percent of Americans say that human activity is the primary cause of climate change and another 31 percent say human activity is a contributing factor, but not necessarily the main cause. Fourteen percent of respondents said that human activity is not a contributing factor, and another 6 percent said climate change is not occurring at all.

Respondents were largely supportive of new Environmental Protection Agency standards for fuel economy and coal-burning power plants. Twenty-two percent said they support new EPA standards increasing the average fuel efficiency of cars to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2024, and 36 percent said those regulations should be strengthened even further. Seventeen percent opposed the new standards. Similarly, 20 percent said they supported new emissions standards for coal-burning power plants, 33 percent said the rules should go further, and 21 percent were opposed.

Respondents to the survey were also relatively confident that U.S. policies could help fight global warming: 43 percent said the country could help curb global warming with the right policies, 24 percent said no policies the U.S. could implement would curb global warming, and 13 percent said global warming was not occurring.

Although polling on the subject is sparse, some other surveys have found that many Americans think climate change might affect the number and severity of hurricanes. For example, in a survey conducted in October and November of 2011 by Yale and Mason-Dixon universities, 58 percent of Americans said that global warming would cause at least "a few more" intense hurricanes over the next 20 years if nothing were done to address it.

The HuffPost/YouGov survey was conducted online among 1,000 U.S. adults and has a 4.4 percentage point margin of error. It used a sample that was selected from YouGov's opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population. Factors considered include age, race, gender, education, employment, income, marital status, number of children, voter registration, time and location of Internet access, interest in politics, religion and church

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Before You Go

Politicians React To Sandy
President Barack Obama(01 of06)
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In a hastily organized press briefing at the White House, Obama said Monday that his race with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is the furthest thing from his mind as the East Coast braces for what could be its worst storm in history."I am not worried at this point about the impact on the election. I am worried about the impact on families. I am worried about the impact on our first responders," he said. "The election will take care of itself next week."...He also sent out a campaign email on Monday urging supporters to heed advice from local authorities and extending an early thank you to first responders.“Michelle and I are keeping everyone in the affected areas in our thoughts and prayers. Be safe,” reads the email, signed by Obama.-- HuffPost's Jennifer Bendery and Lynne Peeples (credit:AP)
Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney(02 of06)
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Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney took a moment in an overflow room ahead of a campaign rally Monday to express his concern for those in the path of Hurricane Sandy and encourage the people of Ohio to do what they could to help those out east.“I want to mention that our hearts and prayers are with all the people in the storm's path," he said in Avon Lake, Ohio. "Sandy is another devastating hurricane by all accounts, and a lot of people are going to be facing some real tough times as a result of Sandy's fury."He went on to encourage those who can afford it to make a donation to the Red Cross."If there are other ways that you can help, please take advantage of them because there will be a lot of people that are going to be looking for help and the people in Ohio have big hearts, so we're expecting you to follow through and help out," he said.Romney concluded the rally by echoing his comments from the overflow room."This looks like another time we all need to come together," he said.-- HuffPost's Elise Foley (credit:Getty)
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie(03 of06)
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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) continued his praise of President Barack Obama's work responding to Hurricane Sandy, using a press briefing Monday evening to note that he appreciated the "leadership" Obama was showing in the emergency.Christie, a prominent surrogate for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, said that he and Obama had a private phone conversation on Monday to discuss how the federal government could help New Jersey. He said that Obama told Christie that he could call him directly over the next 48 hours if the state government had issues with federal response to the hurricane in New Jersey.“I appreciate that type of leadership," Christie said of Obama.The Republican governor said most of the call centered on Obama's concern for New Jersey and then he continued to heap praise on the president, saying Obama's work has been "proactive." Christie shortened a campaign trip for Romney to return to New Jersey to handle the storm response.Christie started his praise of Obama during press briefings on Sunday, when he said "appreciated" Obama's outreach to him and the governors of other states being impacted by Hurricane Sandy.During a press briefing on Monday afternoon, Christie described another call he had with Obama and said that the president and his aides have been working to benefit New Jersey.“We appreciate the president’s efforts in that regard," Christie said earlier Monday. "He and his staff worked tremendously hard.”-- HuffPost's John Celock (credit:Getty)
Former Vice President Al Gore(04 of06)
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This week, our nation has anxiously watched as Hurricane Sandy lashed the East Coast and caused widespread damage--affecting millions. Now more than ever, our neighbors need our help. Please consider donating or volunteering for your local aid organizations.The images of Sandy’s flooding brought back memories of a similar--albeit smaller scale-- event in Nashville just two years ago. There, unprecedented rainfall caused widespread flooding, wreaking havoc and submerging sections of my hometown. For me, the Nashville flood was a milestone. For many, Hurricane Sandy may prove to be a similar event: a time when the climate crisis—which is often sequestered to the far reaches of our everyday awareness became a reality.While the storm that drenched Nashville was not a tropical cyclone like Hurricane Sandy, both storms were strengthened by the climate crisis. Scientists tell us that by continually dumping 90 million tons of global warming pollution into the atmosphere every single day, we are altering the environment in which all storms develop. As the oceans and atmosphere continue to warm, storms are becoming more energetic and powerful. Hurricane Sandy, and the Nashville flood, were reminders of just that. Other climate-related catastrophes around the world have carried the same message to hundreds of millions.Sandy was also affected by other symptoms of the climate crisis. As the hurricane approached the East Coast, it gathered strength from abnormally warm coastal waters. At the same time, Sandy's storm surge was worsened by a century of sea level rise. Scientists tell us that if we do not reduce our emissions, these problems will only grow worse.Hurricane Sandy is a disturbing sign of things to come. We must heed this warning and act quickly to solve the climate crisis. Dirty energy makes dirty weather. (credit:Getty)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)(05 of06)
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"Our thoughts and prayers rest with the families, friends, and loved ones of all those who have lost their lives in the course of Hurricane Sandy, and our hearts go out to the millions of Americans waking up to destruction and devastation in their homes and communities today. "We are all grateful to the rescue workers and first responders working around-the-clock to save lives, restore power, and deal with the immediate aftermath of the storm. Federal, state, and local authorities have worked hand-in-hand to prepare for and respond to this natural disaster, and we will continue to do so as Americans begin to take stock of the damage, recover, and rebuild. "All Members of Congress stand ready to offer our aid and assistance to communities affected by Hurricane Sandy. As we have done in the past, the American people will stand united to confront the impact of this storm and start the work of recovery." (credit:Getty)
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)(06 of06)
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“Hurricane Sandy hit New York and the Northeast hard last night and will complicate life in our region for the coming days. I am astounded at what I have seen in my own congressional district: flooding throughout Coney Island, Battery Park City, and other areas; widespread power outages; felled trees everywhere you look; and some very tragic fatalities. I am grateful to our local responders and laborers, who are doing a tremendous job on emergency response. And, through the President’s declaration of New York as a major disaster area, we will be able to immediately allocate FEMA funds to begin to repair the billions of dollars in damage locally and bring relief to New Yorkers whose lives have been turned upside down.” (credit:Getty)
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