Contact: Dave DeFusco, Director of Communications, 203-436-4842

October 3, 2007

New Haven, Conn. -- Nearly three in four Americans would pay more for their own city or local government to do more to reduce the heat-trapping gases that cause global warming, according to a new survey.

“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. “The public is on board and willing to help foot the bill. All that’s left to do now is act.”

According to the survey (full results), 74 percent of Americans would support local regulations requiring all newly constructed homes to be more energy efficient, even if it would increase the initial cost of a new home by roughly $7,500.

Saving energy and money on utility bills are also what motivated 72 percent of Americans to support local subsidies to encourage homeowners to install electricity-generating solar panels on existing homes, even if it would cost households an extra $5 per month in increased property taxes.

The survey also found that:

• 71 percent would pay $5 a month more in property taxes to support a local subsidy to encourage homeowners to replace old furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, light bulbs and insulation.
• 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.
• 68 percent would support changing their city or town’s zoning rules to decrease suburban sprawl and concentrate new development near the town center.
• 65 percent would support changing their city or town’s zoning rules to require neighborhoods to have a mix of housing, offices, industry, schools and stores close together.
• 53 percent would back city or local fees added to electricity bills to encourage people to use less electricity.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans, however, oppose changing city zoning rules to promote construction of apartments rather than single-family homes, and 64 percent oppose a 10-cent city or local fee on each gallon of gas sold to encourage people to use less fuel.

The GfK Roper/Yale Survey on Environmental Issues is the first of its kind to measure public opinion of local government-led green initiatives. The survey was conducted by GfK Public Affairs and Media, a division of GfK Custom Research North America, and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. The results are available at http://environment.yale.edu/news/5323/.