Even In Red States, Majority Back Carbon Emission Limits

CORRECTS TO REPLACE 3RD SENTENCE WITH INFO RELATED TO POWER PLANT SHOWN - FILE - In this Sept. 4, 2011 file photo shows the main plant facility at the Navajo Generating Station, from Lake Powell, in Page, Ariz. The ... CORRECTS TO REPLACE 3RD SENTENCE WITH INFO RELATED TO POWER PLANT SHOWN - FILE - In this Sept. 4, 2011 file photo shows the main plant facility at the Navajo Generating Station, from Lake Powell, in Page, Ariz. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is slated to release rules aimed at reducing mercury pollution from large coal-fired power plants. The operator of Navajo Generating Station said the 2,250-megawatt plant will run as long as the owners are convinced there isn't a better alternative. But spokesman Scott Harelson said the plant is facing some challenges, the most pressing of which are EPA regulations, and negotiating coal supply agreements and a site lease — "any of which could put the plant at risk of closure." (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, Fle) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Immediately following the announcement of new rules that would limit carbon emissions from power plants, Republicans slammed the Obama administration’s effort as a job-killer and vulnerable red state Democrats distanced themselves from the President.

But a new ABC/Washington Post poll released Monday found that the majority of Americans back limits on carbon emissions, even those who live in red states.

According to the poll, 70 percent of Americans believe the government should limit greenhouse gas emissions. And in states carried by Mitt Romney in 2012, 68 percent support emission limits, as the Post’s Greg Sargent noted.

Americans even support regulation of greenhouse gas emissions if it leads to a pricier electric bill. Sixty percent of Americans in red states back regulation that would increase their monthly electric bill by $20 per month.

Even in coal states like West Virginia, where Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin denounced the new rules, Americans backed curbing carbon emissions. Among Americans living in states where most electricity is produced by burning coal, 69 percent support limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

ABC and the Washington Post surveyed 1,002 adults May 29-June 1 via phone with a margin of error plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. I’m stunned by that 70% number. I run into so many people hostile to the notion of Global Warming.

  2. Avatar for enon enon says:

    have a big old gulp of coal ash, senator manchin… by the way, how is the drinking water in west virginia these days.

  3. Chunky; just like they like it!

  4. It will be interesting to see how strong the resistance will be when congresscritters realize most of their constituents support carbon limits.

  5. The present, wildly successful business model works on the following (among other things)…

    (a) bored Millennials threatened more by images of Godzilla (now playing in theatres near YOU) than Climate Change

    (b) The permanent “horse race” between two political parties made artificially “equal” by “false equivalency” (see “g” below)

    © The Republican party bought and paid for by fossil fuels

    (d) A retrograde Supreme Court to make it all legit

    (e) a throng of geriatric hillbillies ready to outvote everyone else

    (f) FOX and Talk Radio

    (g) Near non-existent investigative Main Stream Media journalism

    (h) And, to top it all off, the 0.01% to coordinate (a) thru (g)


    That being said, the story below has little or no relevance for changing either the Ball Game sketched out above or the Republican Party

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

3 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for deckbose Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for enon Avatar for hippocritic Avatar for alyoshakaramazov Avatar for emilianoelmexicano Avatar for good_old_neon

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: