Originally Published on www.redgreenandblue.org Aug 13, 2009.

In a recent Zogby telephone poll conducted to gauge public opinion on the the Waxman-Markey climate bill, the results showed that a majority of Americans are finally behind climate legislation. The Waxman-Markey climate bill sets out to limit greenhouse gases in the US in order to combat climate change. The bill was just narrowly passed in congress last June by a vote of 219-212.

In the recent past, Americans have shown no interest in changing policy to limit greenhouse gasses, yet shockingly the results of this latest poll show that a whopping 71% of Americans support this bill. The poll also showed that Americans of every age, income group, and political affiliation support the bill much more than previously thought. An enormous win for those of us who want to see reduction in greenhouse gasses.

As predicted the poll results ran higher in the direction of Democrats, but for the first time Republicans and Independents seem to be on board.

Here is a run down on what the poll found:

Favorable View of the Bill:

• Democrats – 89%
• Independents – 73%
• Republicans – 45%

Climate Bill and Employment:

• 68% believe the bill would stimulate job growth.
• 51% believed promoting clean energy and fighting global warming would promote job growth.
• 17% believed the bill would have no effect on jobs.
• 29% believed that the bill would have a negative impact on employment.

As you may know the bill was delayed in the Senate until September. The poll showed:

Climate Bill and the Senate:

• 54% think the Senate should act now.
• 41% feel they should wait.

Support for your Congressperson:

• 47% said they would view their congressperson more favorably if they voted for a climate bill.
• 21% said it would make no difference.
• 29% said they would view their congressperson more negatively if they voted for a climate bill.

All and all, it seems that finally most Americans are looking to take action to stop climate change. This is a good sign for all of us who want to see a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions here and around the world.

Source: www.zogby.com

Image Credit: woodleywonderworks on Flickr