California Goes Green(er)

As the New York Times blog Green put it, “What a difference an oil spill makes.”

Californians’ wariness of offshore drilling dates back to the Santa Barbara spill of 1969, but the Gulf of Mexico spill seems to have shifted public sentiment in the state quickly, even father away from offshore drilling—and toward a more activist view on global warming.

A poll taken by Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) shows that after favoring offshore drilling for the past two years, Californians now oppose drilling off the coast, 59% to 36%.

That is a sizable 16-point shift in opinion from last year, when only 43% were opposed to offshore drilling.

“Two crises—a major oil spill and a major recession—have affected Californians’ views on environmental policy,” said Mark Baldassare, PPIC CEO. “After consistently opposing more offshore oil drilling, residents began to waver as gas prices increased. But events in the Gulf appear to have renewed opposition to more drilling here.”

While a majority of Californians (54%) believe the effects of global warming have begun, less of them hold that view than last July (61%). Nevertheless, 74% perceive global warming as a threat to the state’s future.

There may be controversy at the national level about climate change legislation, but a strong majority of Californians (76%) believe government should regulate the release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sources like power plants, cars and factories in an effort to reduce global warming.

In addition, 70% of respondents favor tougher air pollution standards on new passenger vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and SUVs, and 75% favor tougher standards on diesel engine vehicles, including trucks and buses

Asked if elected officials were doing enough to address global warning, 52% of Californians said the federal government wasn’t and 48% felt state government wasn’t. Most clearly want more government action.

When it comes to the environment, Californians are feeling the heat.