Voters go green

Environment bigger factor in election than immigration, abortion, gay marriage 0

I was looking at this recent poll from Pew, and wanted to highlight how many people see environment as a big issue in the election:

Pew poll

Environment is more important than immigration, abortion, and gay marriage. Which I think explains why McCain is trying to prove he's the real environmentalist. (Also, he's probably a bit worried because registered voters believe, by a 57-28 margin, that Obama will do a better job on the environment).

This is important: in a time of economic hardship, more people favor the approach that Obama has put forward: reducing pollution according to what scientists say is needed, using executive authority to control pollution if Congress fails to act, and investing heavily in the green economy. There's a new American consensus that we can't afford not to fight global warming, meaning that Congress and the next president -- whoever it is -- will have a popular mandate for strong action on climate and clean energy.

Glenn Hurowitz is the Washington Director of Avoided Deforestation Partners (www.adpartners.org), an organization dedicated to protecting tropical forests as part of the solution to climate change. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Politico, The Los Angeles Times, The American Prospect, and many other publications. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party and has worked in a variety of senior positions in the environmental movement and on political campaigns. All his writing at Grist represents his own opinions and no organization should be held responsible for it!

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