Debunking Environmental Myths:
Unveiling how Voters really feel about Clean Air and Water

Public Opinion Research Project undertaken
by the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund

September 28, 2000

Polling Project Overview

In the past year, the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (LCVEF) undertook perhaps the most extensive public opinion research project specific to voter attitudes toward the environment. Through 22 polls covering 26 states and one national poll, the LCVEF worked with 12 polling firms, Democratic and Republican, to complete over 14,600 interviews with likely voters.

In analyzing the results of the year-long opinion research project, one thing became abundantly clear: American voters of all political stripes, of all socioeconomic backgrounds, and in all parts of the country value clean air and water and are overwhelmingly willing to factor this concern into their voting decisions. The findings of this significant polling project specifically uncovered that many common expectations about voters’ views toward environmental issues are simply not supported by research. In fact, five common myths about environmental attitudes will be debunked through the following analysis.

A series of standard questions was asked the same way on each poll. The uniformity of responses to the standard questions leaves little doubt that voters rate clean air and water as top tier issues and strongly prefer pro-environment candidates to candidates who support fewer regulations on business. Across the board, voters reject the notion that a clean environment and a strong economy are mutually exclusive and they support better enforcement of environmental laws, or stronger laws.

This polling project has created a new baseline for documenting movement and trends in public opinion on the environment, both nationally and in individual states. The LCVEF commissioned polls in the following states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New England (Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island), New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

The polling data has been shared with state-based environmental advocates, state political parties and legislatures, state government leadership, the media, and is available on the Internet at www.VoteEnvironment.org. Upon completion of the polling, LCVEF employees conducted message training seminars to ensure that state and local environmental groups take the most effective advantage of the findings.

The sample size, margin of error and polling firm conducting each poll is detailed on an accompanying page. In addition, each “Environmental Myth” is directly addressed and debunked through the research findings.

MYTH #1: Environmental Issues (Clean Air and Water) are not Top-Tier Concerns for Voters.

TRUTH: Voters rate clean air and water on par with other top-tier political concerns like education, crime and drugs and health care, and generally above taxes and Medicare and Social Security. In addition, across the board the vast majority of voters indicate that clean water, clean air and open space issues are important factors in their voting decisions.

Poll Question:

Now I want you to think about the future. I’m going to read you a short list of issues. For each one, please tell me how concerned you are about that issue on a scale of zero to ten, in which ten means you are extremely concerned about the issue, five means you are somewhat concerned, and zero means you are not at all concerned. Choices: Education, Crime and Drugs, Health Care, Clean Air and Water, Medicare and Social Security, the Environment, Taxes, Sprawl and Overdevelopment, Global Warming

According to the national poll, clean air and water are in the top tier of issues that concern voters when thinking about the future. When asked to rate their level of concern about a variety of issues in the future, 71 percent of voters indicate extreme concern about clean air and water issues, placing these issues on par with education (73 percent), crime and drugs (71 percent), and health care (70 percent), and above taxes (59 percent).

When asked about “clean air and water,” voters respond with much more intensity than when asked “the environment.” In all but one of the states polled, “clean air and water” topped “the environment” as a concern for voters. Only in New York, did voters respond more favorably to “the environment.”

Poll Question:

In making a voting decision, how important are issues involving clean water, clean air and open space for you in deciding how to vote?

· Very important, they are a primary factor in deciding how to vote;

· Somewhat important, they are one of several issues to consider;

· Not very important, they are not necessarily an issue you consider;

· Not at all important, they are just not a consideration in deciding how to vote.

In every state polled, a strong majority of voters responded that clean air, clean water and open space were important factors in their voting decision. Most notably, the states in which the highest percentage of respondents said the issues are “very important” included: Michigan (60 percent), Wisconsin (58 percent), Ohio and Montana (both at 57 percent), and North Carolina (56 percent.) In all states but one, over 80 percent of voters said that the environmental issues were “very” or “somewhat” important to their voting decision. Most notably, voters in the New England region (92 percent), New York and Michigan (91 percent) and Ohio and Wisconsin (90 percent) said that the issues were important in their voting decisions.

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MYTH #2: The Public Thinks That Environmental Laws Go Too Far

TRUTH: Voters overwhelmingly support stricter enforcement of environmental laws or stronger laws. Very few voters believe environmental laws should be weakened.

Poll Question:

Now let me read you four statements about the environment and please tell me which comes closest to your own view.

· The laws protecting the environment are not strong enough and stronger laws should be enacted;

· The current laws are tough enough but they are not enforced, existing laws should be strictly enforced;

· The current laws and enforcement of those laws are fine and should be left alone;

· The current laws protecting the environment and enforcement of those laws are too strict and need to be relaxed.

On the national poll, voters overwhelmingly called for government to play a larger role in protecting the environment. A strong majority (77 percent) supported increased government involvement, either in the form of stricter regulations (24 percent) or stronger enforcement of current laws (53 percent).

In every state polled, at least 40 percent of voters called for stronger enforcement of existing laws. States giving the strongest mandate for stricter enforcement included Connecticut (63 percent), Ohio and Michigan (60 percent), and Tennessee, Minnesota and Texas (59 percent). In no state in which research was conducted did more than 15 percent of voters believe environmental laws should be weakened.

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MYTH #3: Voters believe we must Choose between a Clean Environment and a Healthy Economy

TRUTH: A strong majority of voters overwhelmingly reject the notion that we must choose between the environment and the economy. Voters recognize compatibility between a clean environment and a strong economy. Growing consciousness about the environment, environmental gains made over the past 30 years, and the current vibrant economy have created an atmosphere in which voters are unwilling to make a tradeoff between a clean environment and a strong economy.

“Voters strongly reject the notion that we must choose between a strong economy and a clean environment. This is a false choice for most voters.” –Fred Yang, Garin-Hart-Yang

Poll Question:

Please tell me which of these statements comes closest to your own views, even if neither of the statements matches your views exactly:

· We can have a clean environment and a strong economy at the same time without having to choose one over the other;

· Sometimes a clean environment and a strong economy are in conflict and we must choose one over the other.

According to the national poll, a large majority of voters (71 percent) reject the notion that a clean environment and a strong economy are mutually exclusive, compared to a minority (22 percent), who feel that a choice between the economy and the environment must be made.

In every state polled, over two-thirds of voters believe we can have both a clean environment and healthy economy at the same time without having to choose one over the other. Voters in Alaska (82 percent), Idaho (80 percent), Minnesota (79 percent), Tennessee and Connecticut (both at 78 percent) felt most strongly that a choice does not have to be made.

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MYTH #4: In a choice between a Pro-Environment Candidate and a Pro-Business Candidate, the Pro-Business Candidate always Wins

TRUTH: A pro-environment candidate has a significant advantage with voters over a candidate who supports less government regulation on business. Across the board, a strong majority of voters, knowing nothing else about a candidate, favor the pro-environment candidate.

“American voters clearly favor candidates that support tough laws to protect air, land and water. One the other hand, voters are far less likely to back candidates who will roll back environmental regulations in order to help business.” – John Fairbank, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Assoc.

Poll Question:

Now let me read you two short statements about two candidates and please tell me which one you favor…

· Candidate A believes we must protect the environment and supports strong laws and enforcement of those laws;

· Candidate B believes there are too many government regulations and supports efforts to relieve the burden of regulation on business.

If you had to choose, which candidate would you favor? If you aren’t sure, you can tell me that too.

On the national poll, a large majority of voters characterized environmental issues as important to their vote decision, and without any further information about a candidate, they would support a strong environmentalist candidate over one who favors less regulation on business by an impressive 78 to 15 percent margin.

A majority of voters in every state polled except Alaska are more likely to support pro-environment candidates over those who would reduce government regulation on business. In Alaska, a plurality of those polled agreed. Polls on which over three-quarters of voters support the pro-environment candidate include: Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland (82 percent), New York and New England (81 percent), Tennessee (79 percent), the national poll (78 percent), Wisconsin (77 percent) and Ohio (76 percent).

“Lifestyle issues dominate when we have a strong economy. The environment is the ultimate lifestyle issue.” –Brian Tringali, The Tarrance Group

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MYTH #5: Concern about Environmental Issues is limited to White Collar, Well-Educated Voters

TRUTH: Clean air and clean water are important to a vast majority of voters—period. Young and old, well-educated and uneducated, white, African-American, and Hispanic, white collar and blue collar—voters of all socioeconomic backgrounds are concerned about the quality of their air and water and prefer candidates who vow to protect the environment.

“Clean water and clean air are seen as critical health issues to all segments of the American electorate. Our research shows that regardless of their age, gender, race, income or educational attainment, voters consider protecting air, land and water a primary factor in how they vote.” --John Fairbank, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Assoc.

In Pennsylvania, this concern reaches across all groups—the environment is not an important issue among just young and affluent voters. In fact, in Pennsylvania, although voters of all ages are concerned about clean air and water, older voters are more concerned about the issue than are younger voters. Blue-collar workers are nearly as concerned about the environment as are white-collar workers.

A solid majority of Marylanders are very concerned (rating of 8 to 10 on a 10-point scale) about clean air and water (66 percent) and the environment (61 percent). This concern reaches across all groups; however, women, blacks, and urban dwellers are somewhat more concerned about these issues than are other voters.

“Contrary to popular belief, the environment is not an important issue just among young and affluent voters. In fact, voters of lower socioeconomic status are often the people who directly face the consequences of environmental degradation, so their strong support for stronger environmental protection is not surprising.” ­--Fred Yang, Garin-Hart-Yang

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