The vast majority of Americans are willing to pay more in local taxes and other local government-led initiatives in an effort to halt global warming, a survey conducted by GfK Public Affairs and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies states.  

                                                              

"City and local leaders are critical players in the effort to reduce global warming, and it's clear that their constituents want action," said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of Yale Project on Climate Change, a survey sponsor, in a public statement. "The public is on board and willing to help foot the bill. All that's left to do now is act."

 

Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of survey respondents stated that they would support an initiative requiring all newly constructed homes to be more energy-efficient, even if that means increasing the cost of a new home by about $7,500. Seventy-one percent of respondents also stated that they would be willing to pay an additional $5 per month in property taxes to support local subsidies to install electricity-generating solar panels on existing homes. Respondents stated that they would offset the extra cost by saving money on utility bills.

 

Conservation Outreach Director Sandy Bahr, of Sierra Club’s Arizona chapter, is hopeful about what the study findings mean, she tells demo dirt. “I do think it means we can be more optimistic,” adding that most people in her field tend to see the bright side of things. “Just working in environmental protection is optimism in itself. “

 

Over 71 percent of respondents also would be willing to pay an additional $5 a month in local taxes to support a subsidy encouraging homeowners to replace old furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, light bulbs and insulation. Almost as many (69 percent) would pay even more per month ($8.50) for local regulations requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy.

 

“People are getting it,” explains Bahr. “The federal government has been slow to take action, so people are initiating action locally. I think it should give us all hope. There’s an old saying, ‘If the people lead, the leaders will follow’ but we add, ‘eventually.’”  But even that sentiment is changing, as politicians are acting more quickly in the race to end global warming than ever before, she adds.

 

So, will local politicians respect the wishes of their constituents? Bahr thinks so, but it is up to the people to keep the momentum going. “Elected officials are talking about global warming. Less say ‘I don’t think it’s real’ and we are seeing a change. We need to sustain this energy to keep politicians focused on the issue, so that they don’t say, ‘It’s just a flavor of the month.’”

 

Overall, survey participants are willing to pay more in property taxes and other costs to stop global warming, as long as hands are kept off their gas tanks. Sixty-four percent would oppose an initiative making gas an extra 10 cents a gallon in city or local fees to encourage less gasoline use.