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On Eve of SC Debate, Global Warming Is Front And Center

-- Mike -- 04/24/2007

Today in South Carolina, a bipartisan group of lawmakers - including more than 2/3 of the state house and 21 state senators - released an open letter to the 2008 presidential candidates asking them to make climate change and energy policies a priority in their conversations with Palmetto State voters. From the letter signed by 44 Democrat representatives and 44 Republican representatives:

"It is going to take presidential leadership for America to usher in a new era of energy production, use and conservation. As you visit our state over the coming year, we invite you to make climate change and energy policies a priority in your conversations with South Carolinians."

The letter comes on the heels of a new poll that shows that a majority of likely South Carolina primary voters support taking action now to curb global warming. The poll was conducted by Republican pollsters Ayres, McHenry & Associates and Democratic pollsters Hamilton Beattie & Staff on behalf of Conservation Voters of South Carolina Education Fund and the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League. Findings from the poll include:

Though South Carolina Republicans and Democrats disagree on the cause of global warming, they are united in agreeing that we should take action to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. 79 percent of likely South Carolina Democratic primary voters and 56 percent of Republican primary voters believe that even if the serious consequences of global warming are decades away, we have a responsibility to our children and grandchildren to take action now.
87 percent of likely Democratic primary voters and 80 percent of likely Republican primary voters believe that the state and federal government should take steps to reduce fossil fuels, such as oil and coal that are used by cars, factories, and power plants.
A majority of South Carolina primary voters strongly favor an increase in mileage standards for new cars and SUVs over the next ten years to 40 miles per gallon instead of the current 24 miles per gallon.
In addition, a majority support requiring major reductions in the amount of global warming pollution that power plants and industries are allowed to release in the air.

Click here to read more about the open letter from South Carolina legislators. Click here to view the results from the poll.