The number of Americans who give current political leaders poor marks on energy and climate leadership has risen dramatically in recent years, according to an opinion survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for the Newton, MA-based Civil Society Institute (CSI). A majority of those responding to the survey said they support a five-year moratorium on new coal-fired plants.

According to the survey, 72% of respondents — including 82% of Democrats, 75% of Independents and 58% of Republicans — regard the ability of political leaders to frame “practical, problem-solving solutions” on energy and climate change issues as “weak.” In October 2003, 57% of respondents gave political leaders the “weak” label on energy and climate change issues.

But the survey also found that over the past few months Americans have become somewhat more optimistic about the potential for leadership on climate issues, with 31% saying they have a “very high” or “good” degree of confidence of such action, up from 25% in an October 2007 survey. The level of those with “no confidence” dropped to 20% from 28% in October.

Results of the survey show that 84% of respondents (including 88% of Democrats, 85% of Independents and 78% of Republicans) agree that “a sound energy policy is central to solving some of the most urgent problems facing our country” and 86% (including 91% of Democrats, 93% of Independents and 79% Republicans) agree that “a national energy strategy based on a ‘phasing in’ of new technologies and a phasing out of carbon-based energy sources would require specific actions,” including a five-year moratorium on new coal-fired plants and an aggressive expansion of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources.

“The American public is way ahead of the politicians today in recognizing the serious threat posed by global warming and the need for immediate and comprehensive national energy policy changes,” said CSI president Pam Solo.

The House this week passed legislation that would extend tax breaks for renewable energy and energy conservation — at the expense of oil and natural gas producers (see Daily GPI, Feb. 28). The bill (HR 5351) would strip oil and gas companies of $18 billion in tax incentives over the next decade and re-invest them in tax credits for renewable fuels, such as wind, solar, geothermal, cellulosic ethanol and biofuels, and promote energy efficiency.

The survey of 1,006 adults 18 years and older living in the continental U.S., conducted Feb. 7-10, had a margin of error of plus/minus 3%. Complete survey findings are available at www.CivilSocietyInstitute.org.

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