Environmental Polling

Global Strategy Group, Inc. -- June 2000

Key Findings

Clean Air and Water and the General Condition of the Environment are Top Concerns

The environment ranks in the top tier of issues that ost concern voters in North
Carolina. When asked to rate their concern about a number of important issues,
80% of North Carolinians said they were extremely or very concerned about clean
air and water, with 78% expressing the same level of concern for the environment in
general.

• These percentages place environmental issues on par with other key issues, including health care (83%), education (80%), Social Security and Medicare, and taxes, with environmental issues only trailing crime and drugs (87%) by a statistically significant margin.
  
  
• Clean air and water cause a variety of groups extreme concern, including lower (63%) and middle-income voters; voters in Eastern North Carolina; Charlotte residents; residents of Western North Carolina; elderly voters; middle-aged voters; women; voters without children in the household; small town voters; and non-white voters. Concern for clean air and water also cuts across ideological lines, with liberals (65%) expressing the most concern, but moderates (49%) and conservatives (46%) also showing a high level of concern regarding this issue.
  
  
• Other environmental issues, including: hog farm waste (31%); sprawl and over-
  development (22%); ocean and beach protection (27%); the loss of forests (33%); and global warming (26%) do not cause the level of extreme concern as either clean air and water (52%) or the environment in general (44%), although they are related issues.
  
  
• Meanwhile, among only environmental issues, voters rank water quality as their most important worry (44%), with air quality ranking second (31%). Middle-aged voters (52%); college-educated women; voters living in Western North Carolina; voters age 35 through 44; residents of Charlotte, and liberals are even more concerned about water quality than voters in general. Meanwhile, air quality worries women over the age of 55; liberals; Charlotte voters; and middle-income voters somewhat more than other voters.

Voters believe that campaign contributions exert a strong influence on the voting behavior of the their elected representatives.

• When asked about the influence of contributions on elected officials, 80% of voters believe these contributions have an influence on the voting behavior of their representatives, with 61% convinced there is "a lot" of influence brought to bear on elected officials’ votes by campaign contributions.
  
  
  • Men are particularly suspicious that contributions influence voting patterns (68%), as are voters age 35 through 44; college graduates; and Raleigh-Durham/Chapel Hill residents. Voters making 60K+ (71%) and college-educated men (74%) are particularly suspicious that there is a causal link, and voters who believe that environmental laws are not strong enough somewhat less strongly concur with this opinion
    
    
  • Voters of all ideological stripes are convinced that campaign contributions influence the voting patterns of elected representatives in regard to the environment, as 62% of liberals, 58% of moderates, and 64% of conservatives offered this opinion.
    
    
• Voters are evenly split over whether they believe campaign contributions influence elected officials to vote for (26%) or against (25%) environmental protections.
  
  
  • The biggest splits in opinion are by age and education, with voters age 18 through 34 believing that elected officials are influenced in favor of the environment (33% in favor to 20% against); voters 35 through 44 years of age feel very differently (20% in favor to 38% against).
    
    
  • When separated by education level, voters with a high school education or less think elected representatives are influenced in favor of environmental regulations by campaign contributions (33% in favor to 18% against), while college graduates disagree mightily with that notion (16% in favor to 36% against).

Voters Reject a Trade-off Between a Clean Environment and a Strong Economy.

The high level of concern over the environment coupled with a strong economy has created an atmosphere in which voters do not believe that a clean environment and a strong economy are mutually exclusive. A large majority of North Carolinians (77%), believe the two are attainable goals, while only 17% disagree with this notion. This sentiment is strongest among middle-income voters (84%); men under 54 years of age (84%); middle-aged voters; college-educated men; and voters living in Winston Salem/Greensboro.

• Among voters who believe that a clean environment and a strong economy are in conflict, and a choice must be made between the two, 54% of North Carolina voters would choose a clean environment while 32% say they would choose a strong economy. It is important to note, however, that most likely, if the economy were in worse shape currently, these numbers would not be as strong in favor of the environment.
  
  
• The voters who are most strongly in favor of a clean environment, include: college-educated women (67%); voters 35 through 44 years of age; Winston Salem/Greensboro residents; liberals (64%); non-college men; and non-white voters. Meanwhile, voters age 18 through 34 (42%), college men, and non-college women lean most heavily towards a strong economy when they believe that a choice must be made
  

Voters are ready to take political action on the environment.

Nearly nine in ten voters characterize environmental and clean air and water issues as important to their voting decision, with 56% of voters claiming that clean air and water and preserving open spaces are "primary factors in deciding how to vote," and an additional 30% listing these issues as "somewhat important" in their voting decision. When asked about the environment in general, 50% listed it as a primary factor in deciding for whom they vote, with an additional 38% saying it is a somewhat important influence when deciding how they will cast their ballot.

• Returning to the issues of clean air and water and open spaces, these issues are a primary factor in the voting decisions of an exceedingly large percentage of voters age 65+; women over 55 years of age; voters with a high school education or less (66%); voters living in Western North Carolina; small town voters; and non-white voters. This issue is most salient to voters earning 29K or less (75%).
  
  
  • Voters across the ideological spectrum also claim that clean air and water and open spaces are primary factors when they are deciding for whom to vote, as three quarters of liberals and over half of moderates and conservatives agree with this statement.
    
    
• Voters, in turn, show a readiness to vote on the basis of a candidate’s stand on environmental issues. When asked to choose between a candidate who is a strong environmentalist and one who favors reducing the environmental regulations that apply to business, a majority of these voters support the environmentalist candidate (57%), with one in two "strongly supporting" the environmentalist, with less than a quarter of voters backing the candidate in favor of the reduction of environmental regulations.
  
  
  • Some of the strongest support for the environmental candidate comes from self described liberals (69%), voters living in Western North Carolina, college-educated women, non-white voters, and voters earning less than 29K.
    
    
  • When the same question is posed to voters and they are told that the environmental candidate has been endorsed by environmental groups and taken campaign contributions from them and the other candidate has taken contributions from developers and corporations that are known polluters, the support for the environmentalist candidate climbs to 61%, with 49% strongly behind this candidate. Meanwhile, the support for the other candidate who is anti-environment falls from 24% to 15%.

Voters Demand Stronger Action From the Government.

Voters in North Carolina are looking for the government to increase its role in environmental regulation. Over three-quarters of voters (77%) are in favor of a higher level of government involvement in protecting the environment, in the form of either increased laws or the stricter enforcement of laws currently on the books. This trend is particularly true among female voters.

• Yet, the vast majority of these voters favor an approach that emphasizes more strictly enforcing current laws and regulations (53%) over creating new ones (24%). Voters that favor this approach, include non-college-educated women; Eastern North Carolina voters; and middle-income voters (60%). Meanwhile, the voters most solidly on the side of creating new laws are women under the age of 54 (31%); West North Carolina voters (31%); and liberals (38%).
  
  
• Furthermore, even those not likely to support this increased government involvement, in terms of new laws or stricter enforcement of the current ones, i.e. conservatives, support these measures by large majorities (72% and 69%, respectively). Meanwhile, less than one in five NC voters believe that the government is currently doing enough or too much to protect the state’s environment.
  

Voters Speak: Polluters Should Fund Enforcement Efforts.

An overwhelming majority of voters feel that those individuals violating environmental laws and businesses that pollute should be held financially accountable for their illegal or harmful practices. In fact, a whopping 91% believe individuals breaking environmental laws should pay fines for their actions to cover enforcement costs, while 89% would have businesses that pollute pay higher dumping fees to contribute to cleanup efforts.

• The strongest support for fining individuals who violate environmental laws to cover the cost of enforcement, includes: voters living in Winston-Salem/Greensboro (97%); middle-aged voters (96%); women; and middle-income voters.
  
  
• The voters who believe most fervently that businesses that pollute should have to pay higher dumping fees includes: voters living in Western North Carolina (94%); voters living in Winston-Salem/Greensboro (93%); and middle-aged voters (93%).
  
  
• On the other hand, one in two voters oppose a sales tax to pay for environmental law enforcement, and over two-thirds of voters oppose raising the income tax on North Carolina citizens to fund these efforts.

Voters respond most strongly to issues that affect their daily lives and the health of their families.

Voters overwhelmingly responded to the notion (71% very convincing) that the current environment be protected for future generations. Liberals (85%) and voters from Western North Carolina (84%) gave the most credence to this statement, while voters from Winston-Salem/Greensboro; women under 54 years of age; voters earning under 29K; and voters with a high school education or less also believe that their children deserve a future with "the same beautiful landscape and diversity of wildlife that we have today.

• In particular, the quality of drinking, swimming, and fishing water has North Carolina voters very concerned. Requiring hog farmers to monitor water quality to prevent the pollution of drinking water strongly resonates with NC voters, with almost three-quarters strongly supporting this idea. Its strongest support comes from voters making under 29K (81%); non-white voters (79%); liberals; college men; and voters 55 through 64 years of age.
  
  
• North Carolinians want drinking water supplies free of toxins and pollutants (66% very convincing), with poorer voters most convinced that this is a necessity (85%). In addition, non-white voters (78%); liberals; small town voters; Eastern North Carolina voters; women over the age of 55; and voters with a high school education or less are very convinced that action should be taken to keep their drinking water clean.
  
  
• Voters also respond strongly to messages about "getting pollution out of the water" so that they can enjoy recreational activities in rivers (65% very convincing). Women over the age of 55 (74%) find this message especially compelling, as do college-educated women and women in general; voters 35 through 44 years of age; Winston-Salem/Greensboro voters; voters making 60K+; voters making under 29K; and liberals (75%).
  
  
  • When it comes to fishing, 65% of voters want the government to take steps to keep the water clean so that fish are not contaminated. This includes 88% of voters making under 29K; 77% of women over the age of 55; Winston Salem voters; college-educated women; and small town voters. In addition, voters support requiring forested buffer areas that cannot be logged along streams and rivers to protect water quality. The strongest proponents are liberals (76%); men over the age of 55; and Charlotte residents.
    
    
  • When asked further to comment on the topic of logging, voters hold the opinion that logging companies should be required to notify state officials before they begin logging operations. Liberals; Raleigh Durham/Chapel Hill residents; and women under 54 feel particularly strong about this subject.
• Voters also are convinced that rising asthma rates and other respiratory diseases among children as proof that stronger clean air laws are needed (61% very convincing). This sentiment is even stronger among low-income voters (84%); voters 55 through 64 years old, small town voters; Western North Carolina voters; Winston Salem voters; and liberals.
  
  
• Concern about the issues of clean air, water, and open space influences voting patterns across all demographic groups: Over 80% of men; women; voters with less than a high school education; college graduates; white voters; non-white voters; voters age 18 to 34, voters age 65+; wealthy voters; poorer voters; conservatives; and liberals (actually over 90%) say that these issues are important in deciding their voting decisions.
  
  
• In terms of what voters would like to see pro-environmental candidates do to improve the air quality in North Carolina, almost one-fifth think the priority should be to create regulations for the specific industries that pollute. In particular, men under 54 would be the most supportive (24%) of these new regulations.
  
  
  • A second option, encouraging energy use from clean sources such as solar, wind, or hydropower, receives the support of 16% of voters, with the strongest support derived from college-educated women (27%), Eastern North Carolina voters, and women under 54 years of age.
    
    
• Voters would also like to see their elected representatives take up other issues, such as the institution of land and zoning ordinances (60%) in the roughly half of North Carolina counties where these ordinances do not exist. This idea has the strongest backing among Eastern North Carolina voters (67%); college-educated men (67%); small town voters; voters making 60K+; college-educated women, voters age 65+; and women over the age of 55.
  
  
• There is also support for natural areas being made off limits to developers. Over three in five voters agree with this sentiment, in particular liberals (77%), voters 18 through 34 years of age (70%), middle income voters, Charlotte voters, and voters age 35-44.

Conclusion There are reasons to be optimistic about the views of North Carolina voters towards the environment. Environmental issues are high on voters’ list of priorities for the coming election and elections in the near future, with voters much more likely to support a candidate who is an environmentalist over one who is not. Voters in North Carolina also do not believe that they will have to make a choice between the economy and the environment, yet this fact could change if the economy were suddenly to slow down. In addition, voters are supportive of new laws or the stricter enforcement of current laws, with much more of a mandate in favor of the latter. Generally, voters are most receptive to clean air and water messages, as these are the issues that affect their daily lives and health, but there are other messages on issues such as preservation of the environment for future generations and logging that are appealing to voters. Finally, while voters do not believe they or other law abiding citizens should be taxed to pay for environmental law enforcement, they are very much in favor of making the individual or corporate polluters pay for their transgressions. The current situation is one that puts environmental groups in a good position to appeal to voters for increased action by the government on this issue, but the messages must be phrased correctly and must pertain to the specific environmental issues that show on voters’ list of priorities for the near future.

METHODOLOGY

This poll was conducted June 13th through the 18th, among 600 likely voters in North Carolina. The margin of error is +/- 4.0%, and regional splits are as follows:

Regions:

12% Western
20% Winston Salem/Greensboro
22% Charlotte
24% Raleigh Durham/Chapel Hill
14% Eastern
6% Wilmington