CFCE Blog

PPIC Survey on the Environment - in context

By Loren Kaye
Posted 7/26/2007

The Public Policy Institute of California has released its annual poll on “Californians and the Environment,” which has received the requisite attention in the media because of the strong dissatisfaction Californians exhibit about the level of effort of state government regarding environmental issues.

 

But to put the poll in context:  last month PPIC asked what was the “most important issue facing people in California today?”  Environment ranked seventh, with five percent of adults responding it was their top choice, trailing illegal immigration (25%), economy (11%), health care (8%), crime (7%), education (7%), and gasoline prices (6%).  Over the past several years, the environment has always been a third-tier issue, gaining a 2% to 6% response to this question.

 

In this spirit, I’m suspicious of one of the highlighted results – that 54% of likely voters say the presidential candidates’ positions on the environment are very important (and 29% somewhat important) in determining their vote.  I’m wondering if one would get the same result after having discussed Iraq or immigration or health care or education or the economy for 40 questions. This isolated response doesn’t help to understand which issues are priorities for voters.

 

For another indication that Californians are probably not paying that much attention to this issue, they are fickle when giving credit to the Governor for his leadership, even though he has wrapped this issue around his governorship.  PPIC points out that Schwarzenegger’s approval on environmental issues has dropped from 55% to 47% since January, but neglects to point out that his approval on the environment is up from 39% a year ago.  This is not the mark of an electorate that is paying close attention to this issue.

 

Otherwise, while the poll finds strong feelings about environmental issues, these feelings have not apparently intensified over the past year, even with all the attention to the environment by state leaders.  The only measurable change is a slightly higher profile for global warming/climate change and measurably more support for the AB 32 and automobile tailpipe standards than last year.

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