Americans Favor Carbon Tax Over Cap and Trade, Two-To-One
The U.S. Climate Task
Force (CTF) and Future 500 released the results of a new survey by
Hart Research, which reveals that three out of four Americans favor
legislation to significantly cut carbon emissions – contradicting
reports that public support had cooled.
The survey report, “
target=”_blank”>Energy And Climate Change Policy: A Survey among
American Voters” shows that U.S. voters favor a carbon tax over
cap and trade by nearly two-to-one. These findings suggest it’s
politically feasible for the U.S. Congress to pass a national
emissions policy; lawmakers just need to pick the right one.
The survey, which polled over 1,000
registered voters across the country, found a carbon tax
outperforms emissions trading systems across the electorate,
including voters in every income bracket, each region of the
country, and on both sides of the political aisle. Moreover, those
who give higher priority to climate issues are even less likely to
support cap and trade as the best solution.
“This poll reveals that only two percent of voters hold very
positive view of cap and trade – the system at the core of the
current Senate bill,” explains Dr. Elaine Kamarck, former senior
policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore and current CTF Co-chair.
“But it’s not too late to salvage the situation. With both the U.N.
and the Senate delaying major climate debates until next year,
policymakers now have time to make a serious course correction in
the emissions debate. And this survey offers Congress – especially
those looking ahead to the 2010 midterm elections – the necessary
guideposts for success.”
CTF Chair Dr. Robert J. Shapiro, former U.S. Under Secretary of
Commerce and senior advisor to Bill Clinton notes, “Support for a
carbon tax-shift has been strong among economists and many
environmentalists for a long time, because it sets a stable price
for carbon, providing businesses and households the incentives they
need to develop and adopt climate friendly fuels and
technologies.”
“It also provides accompanying tax cuts for American families.
This new survey shows that the same attributes that make this
policy appealing to these groups also make it the most popular
option for two out of every three average Americans,” he added.
“By more than two-to-one, Americans want strong action to
protect the climate, and they favor using the tax system to help
achieve that,” says Bill Shireman, President of Future 500. “We
applaud the tremendous progress made to advance climate legislation
in the past year. To actually enact required changes into law,
Congress will need to improve on the current Boxer-Kerry model, to
best meet the climate crisis and unite environmental, business,
social justice, and taxpayer interests.”
The following resources provide additional background on this
groundbreaking survey:
About the Climate Task Force:
The U.S. Climate Task Force (CTF) was created to be a
leading voice in the discussion of policy options available to
contain the risks of climate change. Founded by Sonecon and joined
by Future 500, CTF is advocating that the United States government
takes the lead in the global effort to combat climate change by
enacting legislation that encourages cost-effective technological
advances, innovation and efficiency in order to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
Source: www.climatetaskforce.org
