NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, October 3, 2007 (ENS) - A majority of Americans responding to a new survey of attitudes toward climate change policies support a variety of city and local measures to minimize the effects of global warming.

The first results of a new quarterly survey called the GfK Roper/Yale Survey on Environmental Issues found that nearly three quarters of the Americans polled (74 percent) would support local regulations requiring all newly constructed homes to be more energy efficient. They supported this policy even when told it would increase the initial cost of a new home by roughly $7,500, while saving about $17,500 in utility bills over 30 years.

The new survey was designed and analyzed by GfK Public Affairs and Media and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

Recent national surveys demonstrate that Americans are increasingly convinced that global warming is occurring - in this survey, 68 percent are “completely” or “mostly convinced” and favor a wide range of national and international, city and local policies to slow it.

Investigators conducted two national telephone surveys of Americans, ages 18 and over. The first polled 1,004 people from September 21 to 23, and the second, conducted from September 28 to 30, polled 1,005 people.

They found that saving energy and money on utility bills is one of the bonuses that motivated seven in 10 respondents to support local subsidies encouraging homeowners to install electricity-generating solar panels on existing homes, even when told that this initiative would cost households an extra $5 per month in increased property taxes.

The survey shows that 71 percent would pay $5 more a month in property taxes to support a local subsidy to encourage homeowners to replace old furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, light bulbs and insulation.

In addition, 69 percent would pay $8.50 more a month for local regulations requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20 percent of their electricity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources.

And 68 percent would support changing their city or town's zoning rules to decrease suburban sprawl and concentrate new development near the town center.

Also, 65 percent would support changing their city or town's zoning rules to require neighborhoods have a mix of housing, offices, industry, schools and stores close together

Finally, 53 percent would back city or local fees added to electricity bills to encourage people to use less electricity

The majority of respondents oppose changing city zoning rules to promote apartment building construction rather than single-family homes. The survey found 57 percent opposed and only 38 percent in support of this policy.

And 64 percent oppose adding a 10 cent city or local fee to each gallon of gas at the pump to encourage people to use less fuel.

"Seven in ten Americans want their local governments to do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz. director of the Yale Project on Climate Change.

"City and local leaders are critical players in the effort to reduce global warming and it's clear that their constituents want action," he said. "The public is on board and willing to help foot the bill. All that's left to do now is act."

In a separate national survey Leiserowitz published last week, 62 percent of respondents said they believe that life on Earth will continue without major disruptions only if society takes immediate and drastic action to reduce global warming.

Further, 68 percent of those polled support a new international treaty requiring the United States to cut its emissions of carbon dioxide 90 percent by the year 2050.

By comparison, the Kyoto Protocol would require the United States to cut its emissions seven percent by the year 2012.

"One of the most surprising findings was the growing sense of urgency," said Leiserowitz, the study's principal investigator. "Nearly half of Americans now believe that global warming is either already having dangerous impacts on people around the world or will in the next 10 years - a 20 percentage point increase since 2004. These results indicate a sea change in public opinion."

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2007. All rights reserved.