Today's most significant stat has to be the 1377 (and counting) Step It Up 2007 events that are taking place across the U.S. While the total number of participants has yet to be tallied, the sheer number of events is amazing and symbolizes the growing concern about global warming.

But rather than rely upon vague measures of that growing concern, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at polling data to see what Americans are really thinking…and what they might be willing to support politically.

A month ago, the Gallup Poll conducted its annual environmental survey. Here's a summary of the findings:

Gallup's annual Environment survey, updated Mar. 11-14, 2007, finds the overwhelming majority of Americans supporting environmental proposals that would strengthen government restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions and spend more taxpayer money to develop alternative sources of fuel and energy. Americans have been widely supportive of these proposals since Gallup began tracking them as far back as six years ago. Public support for these proposals dipped slightly in 2006 but bounced back this year, and grew to a new high in the case of setting higher restrictions on auto emissions.

Specifically, Americans strongly favor:

• Spending government money to develop alternate sources of fuel for automobiles (86%)
• Setting higher emissions and pollution standards for business and industry (84%)
• More strongly enforcing federal environmental regulations (82%)
• Spending more government money on developing solar and wind power (81%)
• Setting higher auto emissions standards for automobiles (79%)
• Imposing mandatory controls on carbon dioxide emissions/other greenhouse cases (79%)

Of course, the question of imposing mandatory controls on CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions is perhaps today's biggest political hot potato. It is also the focus of today's national day of climate action, with every Step It Up Event rallying around a single action item: the call for Congress to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050.

According to the Gallup Poll, those folks who identify themselves as Democrats or leaning Democratic favor mandatory controls of greenhouse gas emissions by 90%; 67% of folks who identify themselves as Republican or leaning Republican favor mandatory controls.

In either case, members of Congress should find comfort in the fact that this poll indicates a majority of Americans would support legislation to curb greenhouse gases. How strong that support would be for stringent controls remains to be seen.

Carbon Neutral Journal's stats are brought to you by Blue Spruce Cleaners.

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